


Just to Be a Good Neighbor

by SparkleCupcake



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Ambassador Frisk, But Grillby's Too Hot, Eventual Sans/Reader, Flowey Is A Dick, Frisk Uses Sign Language, Gender-Neutral Frisk, Graphic Description, Grillbae is Best Bae, Houseplant Flowey, I Fully Intended This to be Sans/Reader, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Minor Mettaton/Papyrus, Multi, My First AO3 Post, Neighbors, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Reader Is Not Frisk, Skeleton Bros are Best Bros, i'm trash, reader is female, there is smut
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-20
Updated: 2017-11-28
Packaged: 2018-06-03 11:55:10
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 33
Words: 64,372
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6609769
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SparkleCupcake/pseuds/SparkleCupcake
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>You (female Reader) are a talent agent who lives in one of the penthouse suites of a fairly alright apartment complex. Your complex's owner, who you're fairly close with asks you to help your new neighbors move in alright. When you meet the skeletons who will be occupying the other suite on your floor, however, your life begins to change in ways you'd never fathomed.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Always Worry when the Landlord Calls

**Author's Note:**

> So this is the first chapter of what will hopefully be an alright story. Plan is for an eventual Sans/Reader (because I'm trash) but I'm really bad at finishing things so we'll see what happens. I'll update the rating as needed, but I don't even know if I'll even get to the point where smut is possible.

It was a beautiful day. You didn't have to head in to work, birds were singing, flowers were blooming... and you were stuck meeting your landlord at the apartment office. He was a very kind man, but also a human doormat. And his employees took advantage of this and were some of the rudest people you might meet. You dreaded heading in to the apartment office for anything, choosing to pay your bills online and contact your landlord by any other means possible.

You headed in and waited at the front desk, pensive. You weren't entirely sure what your landlord wanted. Normally, he would give you some detail of what he needed from you, usually just confirmation that your rent payment had gone through online. But he had been strangely cryptic about this, calling and telling you as briefly as possible to come by the apartment office today when you had a chance. You had eaten breakfast, tamed your hair, and put on halfway respectable clothing before taking the elevator down and walking over to the office. You had been waiting at the reception desk for nearly 15 minutes when someone finally came to help you.

"What do you want?" Charles, the office assistant your landlord had hired a year or two back was one of the worst people you'd ever met. He treated everyone badly, but had managed to find a true channel for his ire when the monsters emerged from Mt. Ebott. It seemed like every single time you'd seen him lately, he'd find an excuse to spout off some sort of anti-monster rhetoric. It was obnoxious, to be honest, and you had told him so on multiple occasions. He made sure that you knew just how little he thought of you because of your opinions.  
"Good morning to you too, Charles. Mr. Friedman asked me to meet him today. Is he in?" You attempted, somewhat vainly, to keep your voice polite.

"I'll have to check and see. So is he finally evicting you, or...?" 

"Cut the crap, Charles." Your patience for him always wore thin pretty quickly.

"Just go on back, ______." He waved you away. You didn't thank him or say goodbye, choosing instead to stalk grumpily into the back office where your landlord spent most of his time. 

Lennon Friedman was the kind of man that you saw and instantly worried about. He was bald except for a horseshoe of hair around the back of his head. His face held more creases and wrinkles than a bulldog's, and he always looked incredibly stressed and panicked. Originally, he had owned the buildings with his wife, but she had passed away several years ago. She had been the one that the staff listened to, and the one to do most of the firm leadership for the complex. The staff had become lax in her absence. There were still good people but Mr. Friedman couldn't bring himself to fire anyone, no matter how rude they were being. He worried constantly about people's families and finances.

He often looked to you to help with certain things in the complex. You had been living in a tiny one-bedroom apartment before his wife died, and had listened to him whilst he grieved. You had been 19 then, living on a meager wage from your part-time jobs and attending college at the nearby university when you had the time and supplementing the rest with online courses. Often, you couldn't afford to keep up your internet and would bring your laptop to the office to take advantage of the free coffee and Wi-Fi.

Mr. Friedman had met you during one of these times, and noticing that you were studying communications and public relations, offered you a part-time job promoting the complex in exchange for lowered rent. You did an excellent job, helping bring the apartment complex to nearly full capacity. The next time your lease came up, he offered you an agreement on one of the penthouses for a ludicrously low rate. You were never one to look a gift horse in the mouth, and you had lived there ever since. You still helped him with new residents from time to time so it was likely that this was what he brought you to speak about.

"Hey there ______. I didn't want to pull you out here on a beautiful day like this one but I need your opinion on a couple of new residents." Yep. You were right. He looked overjoyed to see you. That was a bad sign. 

"Sure thing, Mr. Friedman. What do you need me to look at?" 

"Hey kid, I told you, just call me Lennon. Anyways, Charles out there has been giving me trouble about them and I just can't help but wonder how it will look for the complex to let them move here..." 

"What, are they coming fresh out of prison or something? Why would it matter?" 

"They're uh... well, they're monsters. Skeletons actually. And very polite, come to think of it." Lennon stared anxiously into your face, scanning for any sort of reaction. 

"Well, does it bother you that they're monsters?" You didn't give him an indication of your feelings. 

"Um, well... n-no. I guess not, but... Charles really thinks they'd make the apartment complex look bad so I thought I'd ask you what you thought..." He seemed to nervously shrink before you. 

"If you don't care that they are monsters, and would be willing to sign a lease with them, then what does it matter what anyone thinks? Pardon my language but _fuck_ Charles and his opinion." You stared him intensely in the eyes, running your fingers through your hair. "Monsters have been on the surface for two years and have shown themselves to have all the 'humanity' that we do, if not more. Monster crime rates are 10 percent of human crime rates, despite having a smaller population. Monster businesses have _thrived_ despite some wackadoos attempting to get them to shut down! You should open the complex to monster residents as soon as you can, or your competitors will come to their senses and snap them up, now that they're allowed to live outside the boundary." You felt brave, giving a speech like that. 

"You're right, _____. I shouldn't let Charles' bias effect my business choices." Lennon smiled at you, determination shining clearly in his eyes, and said, "Hold on just a minute." He called up to the front office. 

"Charles? Call those monster brothers back. Yes, the ones I met yesterday. I don't care if you find them 'unsuitable for the complex,' you don't run my business. Call them and tell them to come by sometime before Friday, if they're still interested. Thanks." You started to inch towards the door, but he beckoned you back. 

"_____, I've decided to offer them the other suite on your floor. I just know it'll piss Charles off, so could you stay in touch with them? Maybe use the online board you made to shoot them a message offering some help? I'd do it but you know how I am with technology, and I'm so busy I haven't done laundry in two weeks. I just keep finding things in my closet." 

"Uh, sure thing Mr- Lennon. Take care of yourself, ok?" You crept back towards the door, and he rose smiling, opening it for you. His old man pants _did_ look a little more strange than usual. Were they cheetah print? 

When you walked out, you heard Charles give a venomous hiss, " **You.** You convinced him to let those disgusting creature in, didn't you? Don't you care about the complex's standards? 

"Yes, Charles. I do. Which is why I helped Mr. Friedman see that being the first in the community to accept a new group of citizens is both the morally correct and financially wise thing to do." 

"Morals?! They're _monsters_. They'll eat the children. They'll frighten all the humans out of here other than weirdos like you. How is that helpful?" 

"Do you even hear yourself? You'd better cut that racial cleansing, Neo-Nazi bullshit out before I make some calls, buddy." 

"What do you mean, make some calls? I'm better than being afraid of your empty threats." It was clear in his face that he was, in fact, quite afraid. 

"Let's just say that the contacts I've made, through the talent I manage would be more than happy to make you have a hard time finding another job. And, if you're going to keep this one, shouldn't you be making a call yourself?" You turned on your heel and left before he could see that he bothered you. After all, you had quite a bit to do to make sure that your new neighbors moved in comfortably.


	2. Strangers Like Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time to meet your new neighbors.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is actually the first chapter I wrote in my little work notebook, but I figured that we needed a little bit more exposition before our dose of Skelebros.

The day you met your new neighbors was eventful, to say the least. You had been communicating with one of them over the complex's messaging board for the past week or two, mostly friendly inquiries into your interests. You discovered a shared interest in science, although he knew quite a bit more than you (you had taken a science minor), and some movies that you both had seen and enjoyed. Eventually, you agreed upon a day for he and his brother to visit and look at your suite before they moved in for real. He had mentioned how excited he and his brother were to have the other side of the split penthouse floor, saying something about how their previous arrangements were un _suite_ able. 

Your apartment complex had it's flaws, mainly faulty wiring, but Mr. Friedman was exceedingly kind and charged a lower rent than he could have. Luckily, the blackouts were fairly infrequent, so you felt completely confident in having the brothers over to tour your apartment. 

The apartment that you had just realized was incredibly untidy and in no way suitable to have guests visit. From noon onward, as soon as coffee convinced your body it was ready, you flew through your apartment, singing along to upbeat music and making your home look less like some sort of a crazy, clothes-covered nest. You did laundry, swept and mopped, and even took out your recycling tower, propping the door with a decorative paperweight you found in the shape of your favorite Disney character. 

Seeing that paperweight set you on a Disney kick, so you pulled up your Disney playlist and sang (and danced, badly) along while lighting a few candles, setting the table for dinner, and doing some finishing touches. The sauce needed to be cooked over the stove just a bit longer, the noodles boiled, and the garlic bread toasted, but you'd do that once your guests arrived. You had said you'd make spaghetti for dinner and your neighbor said his brother would really like it. You didn't know why but you felt like you were going to have a good time. Excited, you spun and sang and performed to the next song on your playlist. And that was when the... incident occurred. 

"At least out loud, I won't say I'm in loooovvveee." You dropped onto your couch with a flourish when the song ended and heard... clapping. Rapid, enthusiastic clapping. You looked towards the door and... Oh shit. 

"HUMAN... THAT WAS THE NICEST WELCOME PERFORMANCE I'VE EVER SEEN. I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, AM FLATTERED AND HUMBLED TO HAVE A NEIGHBOR THAT MAY BE AS GREAT AS I." He was a massive skeleton, at least six and a half feet tall, wearing tight pants, a cropped t-shirt that read Best Neighbor Ever, and a red scarf that had clearly seen better days. A bright, red-orange blush illuminated his cheeks, only a few shades different from your deep, embarrassed flush. 

"I...uh...that wasn't... I didn't..." You were too embarrassed to form a sentence. You thought you started to see disappointment on the taller one's face, and something like disapproval? on the face of the skeleton next to him. 

"No, uh, what I meant to say was that, um, that wasn't the performance! I was just... practicing songs for the real one, which is going to happen, uh, whenyoumovein? Heh?" Papyrus' face instantly lit up with joy (and was that glitter?!) at the news. "YOU MEAN, I'LL GET TO SEE YOU DO THAT ALL AGAIN? WITH THE TWIRLING AND EVERYTHING? REALLY? WOWIE!" 

This was worse than you thought. "Just how long have you been standing there for, exactly?" You didn't think you could be more mortified. 

"heh, we saw the whole _hakuna_ if you catch my drift. we knocked on the door, and when you didn't answered, we figured this little guy," The smaller skeleton (but still taller than your short self) brandished the Simba paperweight you had in the door, "was there so we could come right in. you said five, right? for us to come over?" 

It became abundantly clear that you had lost track of time during your Disney binge. "Yeah, I did say five... I just didn't realize that it'd be so soon. Maybe we should start over. Yeah! Reset! Go stand outside and knock again. Please. I feel horrendous for not greeting you properly." 

As you shooed them back out, you swore you saw a flash of fear in the shorter skeleton's eyes for a second. Did he think you were too weird already? It was just like you to try too hard and make things awkward. You put Simba on a table by the door and took a deep breath, waiting for their knock. Your first impression may not have been what you wanted but you still had a chance to impress them, right? 

One of them knocked and you opened the door with a big smile. "Hi, I'm _____ _____. You must be my new neighbors. Please, come in and make yourself at home. Dinner will be ready soon." 

Papyrus stepped forward first, giving you a tight hug that swept you off of your feet. "HELLO _____. I AM THE GREAT PAPYRUS AND I HOPE WE CAN BE BEST FRIENDS!" He released you and you gasped for air, weakly gesturing them into your living room. 

"hey, hold up _____." You turned around. The shorter skeleton had his hand stretched out for you to take. you grabbed his hand with both of yours, going to introduce yourself again and... 

PBBBT! There was a whoopie cushion in his hand. "sorry, it's been a while since i had the opportunity to do that. couldn't pass it up. hi, i'm sans. sans the skeleton. we messaged." 

After getting over the initial surprise, you couldn't help but chuckle. "It's alright. Nice to finally meet you in person, Sans." 

A light blue blush misted his face. "heh, yeah. the written word doesn't do my puns justice." 

You looked at each other awkwardly for a good moment before Papyrus' exclamation from the kitchen pulled your attention elsewhere. 

"OH HUMAN... YOU MADE FRIENDSHIP SPAGHETTI. I AM HONORED. IT IS A GOOD THING THAT I ALSO BROUGHT A GIFT FOR YOU!" He reached up into his ribcage (that can't be comfortable, can it?) and pulled out a neat little bag. "I WANTED TO SURPRISE YOU, SO I KEPT IT HIDDEN." 

The gift bag was orange, with blue tissue paper inside. You carried it over to the counter, and after making sure your pasta was stirred, and bread unburnt, you pulled out some of the paper to find... A lanyard with a clip on the end, a ticket to the local science center, and an apron that proclaimed, "Don't You Spaghetti Bout Me." 

"SANS AND I WORKED TOGETHER TO FIGURE OUT THESE GIFTS TO SAY THANK YOU FOR HELPING US GET THE APARTMENT. WE THOUGHT YOU WOULD APPRECIATE THEM MORE THAN SOMETHING GENERIC." You could see the thought that had gone into two of the gifts, but allowed them to explain. 

"you uh, mentioned that you studied some science in college so i thought you might want to go check out the center with me this weekend." 

"AND YOU HAD SAID YOU WANTED TO EXERCISE MORE SO I HAVE GRACIOUSLY GIVEN YOU A FREE MONTH OF MEMBERSHIP AT THE GYM WHERE MY BEST FRIEND UNDYNE AND I WORK." Oh, so that was what the lanyard was for. 

"and the apron... well i wanted to give you something about one of the movies you liked, but pap wanted something to help you cook. pap and i saw the breakfast club while we were still underground. a copy fell down and our friend alphys showed it to us." You couldn't help but blush at the obvious work they had put into the gifts. You hadn't done enough, in your opinion, to merit such nice things. 

"Uh, wow. You two really outdid yourselves. I don't know what to say besides thank you. I meant to get you something as a housewarming gift when you moved in, but I don't think I'll be able to top this." 

"OF COURSE. NO ONE TOPS THE GREAT PAPYRUS AND HIS BROTHER SANS AT GIFT GIVING. NYEH-HEH-HEH!" 

"we heard that you spoke with some people in the office when they weren't sure about letting us rent here. despite everything, not many people would stand up for monsters like that. you've got a good soul." 

"YES BROTHER. IT'S CLEAR TO SEE THAT HER SOUL IS- " 

"paps." 

"THAT IT MUST BE GREAT. OF COURSE, THAT IS ONLY TO BE EXPECTED OF MY NEW FRIEND." 

After a bit of conversation about the complex and yourselves, punctuated a few times by Papyrus remarking on how glad he was that he would be your friend, the noodles and bread were ready, and you settled in to eat. You would be lying if you said you weren't nervous. What if monsters preferred different flavors than humans? You had already struggled through the awkwardness of their arrival, but what if they didn't like your food? It certainly wasn't magical by any means. But your worries were quickly dismissed. 

"WOWIE! THIS FRIENDSHIP SPAGHETTI IS EXCELLENT, HUMAN! I DARE SAY THAT YOU COULD TEACH ME HOW TO COOK JUST AS WELL AS UNDYNE DOES." 

"it is good. hey, uh, _____. do you have any ketchup?" 

Yep. Different flavors. You tried to act like people asked for ketchup with their spaghetti all the time, "Yeah, of course. I'll fetch it for you. Papyrus, would you like anything?" 

"NO, I AM FINE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR HOSPITALITY." 

You headed into the kitchen and grabbed your bottle of ketchup, and decided to make yourself a glass of iced tea. It would help with your nervous, dry throat, and would give you a minute to breathe and reassure yourself that you were doing a good job. The skeletons were perfectly nice, and you could tell that Papyrus liked you, at least. No reason to be nervous. You breathed in and set a smile on your face. Everything was ok. 

When you brought back your drink and Sans' ketchup, you fully expected him to dump it all over his spaghetti. He didn't. Instead, he opened it and, giving you a wink, brought it to his mouth and took a long drink out of it. Yep. Different flavors alright. That was Sans' ketchup from here on out. 

The rest of dinner went over just fine and soon you were giving them the apartment tour. Papyrus complimented you on your cleanliness and you stopped yourself just short of informing hm that it was rarely this clean. The apartment had three bedrooms (you used one as an office, and one as a guest room), two bathrooms, a large living room, a full dining room, and a kitchen with a breakfast nook, in addition to a decent sized balcony, where you could see the balcony for the other penthouse. It was actually somewhat small for a penthouse, you had learned, but you found it perfect. And all in all, the skeleton brothers seemed charmed as well. After the tour, you saw them back to the front of the apartment. Sans and Papyrus stood near the doorway, smiling at you. 

"ONE LAST THING, HUMAN." 

"Sure thing Papyrus. What is it?" 

"I THINK THAT IT WOULD BE WISE IF MY BROTHER AND I EXCHANGED PHONE NUMBERS WITH YOU." 

"Oh, for sure." You pulled out your phone and gave them your number. You added them to your contacts list with a smile. It was nice to have more contacts that weren't business-related. "Well, I'll see you soon. You guys are moving in on the first, right?" 

"yep. sooner than we thought. i think the landlord is trying to rush us in before he loses his nerve. not that we're complaining. sooner we get out of that miserable hellhole, the better." 

Sans had mentioned previously that he and Papyrus' old apartment complex had not been very monster friendly, despite being in what had previously been defined as "monster territory". They had had trouble with their old landlord, and with some of the humans that had been living in the area previously. Not to mention, the conditions weren't that great. You were glad they'd be moving somewhere more tolerable. 

"GOODNIGHT HUMAN! WE WILL MEET IN A WEEK, OR LESS, IF YOU DECIDE THAT YOUR TRAINING AT THE GYM IS READY TO GET STARTED." 

"Goodnight, Papyrus! Goodnight, Sans! I'm sure I'll see you soon." 

"seeya, _____." 

You could help but plop into your couch in relief. You were very happy with what had occurred, other than the song, and glad that you seemed to be making good friends with your neighbors. It went well. You suppressed a yawn, and cleared the dishes. 

Before you went to bed, you saw a text waiting for you. [New Message: Sans (New Neighbor): hey i forgot to ask, is saturday ok for the science center? i can get the tickets changed if it's an issue.] You quickly typed back, "It sounds good :)" and got a nearly immediate response. [Sans (New Neighbor): great. it's a date.] 

You fell asleep half wondering if the skeleton had just been using the word casually or if he had just smoothly maneuvered you into a date with him. Or was the spark you thought you felt bubbling with him just imagined? You really needed to get out for something other than work more. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm actually undecided on whether it's a date or not yet either. I don't know if I have the skill to craft a slow burn. Hopefully I can keep having ideas for and writing these chapters down at work. In the next chapter, you get to pick up a new talent for your agency.


	3. Nervous Mantra

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Your boss had to rush out of town and left you some errands to take care of. Not the least of which was meeting a potential new talent.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I kind of spent my whole day writing because I was just feeling it, so here's another chapter. This one feels especially long.

In the morning, you found yourself awake before your alarm went off. You just laid there, thinking about the events that had transpired the night before. After your odd first introduction, things went pretty well. Your odd first introduction. Oh no. You had promised to perform another Disney song for Papyrus when they moved in properly in less than a week. Despite having seen and represented a wide variety of performers in the years you'd been an agent, you weren't that great of a performer yourself. You preferred watching from the back and making sure that the talent got what they deserved. You had no idea how you were going to pull this off, especially not when you'd actually know they were watching this time. 

Your reflection in bed evolved into a silent bout of anxiety about your choices. When your alarm went off, you got out of bed, shaking your arms out, and headed to the shower. You continued your Disney playlist on your phone and sang along. You were stuck doing this, so there was no time like the present to figure it out. By the time you got out, you had narrowed it down to either "Friend Like Me" or "Love is an Open Door". Both of them were closer to appropriate than the other songs. You sang along to one or the other the entire time you were getting ready: fixing your hair, getting dressed, putting on makeup, making coffee and filling your massive travel mug with it. By the time you got to your car, you were back to being terrified of performing in front of anyone, let alone people you would see often for who knows how long. 

As you sat down in your car, you scrolled through your work emails, making sure you hadn't missed anything important. It looked like you would be interviewing a possible new talent for your boss today; she had a family emergency and had to fly out there for a couple weeks or however long it took to fix that kind of thing. She had sent you an urgent email, filled with duties she expected you to complete before she returned. Most of them were things you did pretty regularly. But there were a few things that you could tell were either a test of her trust in you or just had no option but to give to you. The lunch you were headed to today was definitely one of those. 

The possible talent had a broad portfolio; they had been in television and films, owned properties, and had even released an album a year ago. You bought the album on your phone and listened to it as you drove to the office. It was... interesting, to say the least. You remembered the names of a song or two that you liked, hoping to use that later. You had a very big day ahead of you, and you were confident that you could accomplish anything. You knew that your successes would be duly rewarded, and your failures would be harshly punished by your boss when she returned. 

When you were inevitably stuck in traffic, you took the opportunity to do another item on your to-do list. Your boss made sure to call and talk to one of the more unstable actors she managed every single day, and had given you his number and a reminder. You steeled yourself and dialed. "Hey, Bentley. Good morning!" 

"You're not Narcissa. Who is this? How did you get this number?!" Oops. Probably should have introduced yourself. You blamed it on the lack of coffee. 

"Whoa, calm down friend. I'm _____ _____ from Narcissa's office. She might not have been able to call you but she's had a family emergency and had to leave town. She asked me to give you a call or two and make sure you're being taken care of while she's gone. I didn't mean to startle you, honest." 

"Oh, _____. That sounds familiar I guess. Can't be too safe though, you know? Fans get crazier every day. I don't want to take too many risks with who I talk to. The walls have ears, _____ _____." In that moment you were certain that Bentley's many booked jobs were the only reason your boss took so much time with him. 

"Haha, yeah. For sure. How have you been? Is there anything you need before Ms. Needles comes back into town?" Please say no. Please say no. You had so many things to do. Honestly, you couldn't afford to spend any extra time babying this talent, but you would find a way if you had to. 

"Well, there's a new bar in town that I really want to check out but I'm kind of afraid to go. Could you go for me and check it out? Try some drinks, test the regulars out? Narcissa would do that for me." That didn't sound like something she'd normally do, but you DID need to get out more. 

"Sure, Bentley, I'll check it out. Where is it?" You felt like you were going to regret this. But, it's your job, right? 

"It's called Grillby's, and it's down in Monstertown, on New Ebott Road, maybe? Not sure. But uh, that'd be great. It just opened to the human public. I'm gonna go now, there's a stripper in my bed and I don't remember her name..." What a guy. After your first relationship with an actor, you swore them all off; and moments like this served to remind you that you were correct in doing so. What a mess. 

"Ok, will do. Have a good day!" You managed to control yourself until you got off the phone, and sat giggling in your car n the office parking lot. Right. Task 2 of a million complete. You gathered your things and swiftly walked into your office. Another day, another set of problems. 

But surprisingly, your morning passed with few issues. One of your clients, an up-and-coming young actor, had found out his former best friend had sabotaged his chances at a part and was demanding that you do something about it. You firmly told him that there was nothing you could do, and that was just how the industry was; and later, consoled him with the news that neither of them had gotten the part. It had gone to a more experienced actor. You congratulated an actress on getting a really good part in a film, and completed some more of Narcissa's tasks for you before it was finally lunch time. 

You smoothed your skirt nervously every few minutes as you drove to the restaurant where you were meeting the new talent. Hopefully, you two would get along and they would like the agency, and then the deal was as good as done. They had been representing themselves for the past few years, for reasons that made a lot of sense to you. And while they still would maintain control of their properties (a couple of resorts) and had a separate label, your firm would potentially be their face in acting. Deep breaths. Everything would be ok. 

Eventually you pulled up to a restaurant that you were just barely dressed well enough for. It looked expensive. But this was fine, it was on the company ledger after all. You'd be reimbursed for your lunch. Just act like your boss, and pretend you belonged there. Everything would be ok. 

You walked up to the maitre'd, a fairly young looking plant monster who smiled at you sweetly. "Hello, I have a standing reservation to meet one Mettaton here?" Act like you belong. This is nothing new to you. You've been in places even fancier than this before. Everything would be ok. 

"Oh, certainly. He's waiting just through here! I was wondering why he'd come, he doesn't really do much eating if you know what I mean." You didn't, but you guessed you'd find out. You followed her past the main dining room into a private section. And then you knew what she meant. You hadn't seen any Mettaton films, only read the plot synapses and reviews. Suddenly it all made sense. But this was fine. Everything would be ok. 

Mettaton was a fairly tall humanoid robot. His hair drooped fashionably in his eyes and was jet black. While you could see that he didn't need clothes, he was wearing a nicely tailored open suit jacket and pants and a t-shirt. A heart shone through his shirt like some sort of Tony Stark core. He was remarkably attractive. Whoever had made his body had done a damn good job. When he saw you he smiled brightly. "You must be Narcissa! It's so excellent to meet you after our long correspondence." 

Uh oh. She clearly hadn't emailed Mettaton to tell him the change to their plans. You hoped he wouldn't be offended. "Actually, Mettaton, my name is _____ _____. I work with Narcissa at the firm. She had a family emergency and had to fly out immediately. I'm sorry about the change. However, I'm here to meet you in her stead, and I hope we can have a good discussion." You smiled as brightly as you could whilst being terrified about losing a client. A huge one. But you couldn't afford to be pessimistic. Everything would be ok. 

"Oh dear! I do hope everything is alright with her. But I'm sure if she trusted you with the meeting, you will be more than adequate. Tell me, which of my many works are your favorite?" You felt a tension down to your bones. It felt like Mettaton was trying to trick you into something. 

"Well, I haven't seen ALL of your films but I enjoyed Mettaton the Movie XXVIII, where you exploded the castle. The critics did too. And I also think you'd make an excellent talk show host. As for your music, I really enjoyed the song "Forbidden Love" from your album. Which of your works was your favorite to create?" You were determined to make a good impression. 

"I dearly loved the cooking show I filmed while we were still underground. I'd like to do something like that again. I may not eat but that doesn't mean I can't cook!" Metatton laughed musically, and your smile became a bit more natural. Everything _would_ be ok. 

"Ok, so you may know that here at PN Talent we like to really get to know our clients. A crucial part of this is our unique interview process. I'd like to ask you a few questions and hear your opinions. Some of these might be the standard interview fare, and others might be a little... different. There are no wrong answers, I promise." This was the part where you were a little bit in control. You could ask them anything you wanted; naturally, a lot of agents in your firm used this to try and make the talent feel a little bit out of their element. You had always tried to make them laugh. "So, Mettaton, how did you hear about us?" 

As he answered that and some other simple questions, you managed to order your lunch and drinks for both of you. After a little while, your food came and while it was a bit awkward for you to be the only one eating while Mettaton watched you, the questions kept you both busy. Finally, you were to the nonstandard questions. "Well, Mettaton. Feel free to take your time to process this one. It's a hypothetical situation. Let's say someone you didn't know that well walked in on you in a compromising situation and embarrassed you without meaning to. How would you handle it?" 

"Well, _____ darling I would... hmm. A compromising situation. I suppose if someone walked in on me while I was doing something that would be bad for my reputation, and we weren't that friendly yet... I suppose I'd make it seem as though it were my intention all along. And then I'd make them forget all about it by showing them just how fabulous I am!" Mettaton flipped his hair just a little bit and gave you a winning smile. So, you two were actually pretty alike. You had tried to do something similar last night in your moment of embarrassment. But, you had also agreed to embarrass yourself again. Oops. 

Before you could give Mettaton another question, you heard a commotion in the front of the restaurant. A commotion that you were familiar with the sound of. The paparazzi. Mettaton was kind of a big deal, especially now that movement and commerce were free between monsters and humans. The first major monster actor. Said actor didn't seem to realize what was going on. "Mettaton, I think we're going to have to finish this later. Is there a time you can meet maybe tonight or tomorrow?" You nervously gathered your things and prepared to leave, placing cash on the table and a note telling the restaurant to contact your agency. 

"Oh dear it's just a bit of noise, I can still focus. We can finish up!" Mettaton really didn't get it. You were starting to see flashes near the front of the restaurant. 

"It's not quite that easy, Mettaton. The paparazzi have arrived and as you're fairly far into the contracting process with our agency, you have a nondisclosure clause active until the agent you book with gives you the ok to go to the media. We cannot speak to them about this. We might have to go out the back door. Are you ok with this?" You were getting more nervous by the minute. The longer you spent here, the more likely you were to get a microphone shoved into your face. 

"Oh, that little thing? We won't need to worry about it. I can distract them with my stardom quite easily. Come along, _____." Mettaton got up from the table and beckoned to you, walking right to the front of the restaurant. Oh shit. Oh no. This would either go perfectly as Mettaton promised, or really terribly. If this went really terribly it could be your job. But it was too late. You just had to stay positive. Everything would be ok. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not too too confident in my Mettaton, but I do like him. How do you think this will turn out?


	4. In Which the Author Knows Very Little About How Talent Agents Work

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is shorter than the last one but hopefully not too short. I wrote it in two sittings so it might seem a little disjointed. Hopefully not. I also managed to forget my work notebook (in which I've been writing) yesterday so the chapter wasn't going to come out last night.

To your great surprise, everything did turn out ok. Mettaton charmed the reporters and didn't say a word about your agency. He posed for as many photos in front of the restaurant as they could ask for and promoted it like he owned it. You both managed to play it off as though you were just a friend he was meeting for lunch, and no one recognized you as a talent agent. You traded cell phone numbers and you promised to call him to arrange a meetup when you got back to the office. You remained tense and nervous through the majority of your drive back, but you started relaxing when your favorite song played on the radio. It filled you with joy and determination. 

When you got back from lunch, another surprise awaited you. Emeray Pinn, the other boss of the agency was sitting at your desk. Well, it was nice working here while it lasted. Emery gestured to a seat in front of your desk. You sat, somewhat awkwardly and braced yourself for your firing. 

"So you met with that new monster talent today." It was not a question or even a statement. It sounded almost like an accusation. Did she suspect that you were trying to steal the client for yourself? It happened pretty often, but you weren't sure what would happen with Mettaton. Maybe she had already seen the press coverage of you and Mettaton leaving the restaurant? Could reporters move that fast? They probably could.

You cleared your throat and responded, perhaps more weakly that you had meant to, "Yes ma'am. I met for lunch with Mettaton. We didn't get to finish the interview, because the paparazzi arrived." You figured that being completely straightforward with your answers was in your best interest here. 

"And what happened then. Did the client breach their agreement or did you somehow manage to escape with your ass in one piece." Her voice was so level, without much inflection at all. It terrified you. 

"The second one, ma'am. Mettaton didn't even mention the agency and nobody recognized me. It's a good thing I haven't booked that many important talents yet, heh." You knew that if Narcissa Needles had been there, every news source and it's less credible cousin would be reporting that Mettaton was in dealings with PN Talent. You had very few clients that were even halfway famous, so you had been able to be passed off as just a human friend of Mettaton's. 

"Yes. About that. Narcissa and I have been discussing you. She may not have wanted to alarm you but we think that it may be in your best interest to book the new talent. We recognize that we are growing older and perhaps we ought to start grooming up agents to take over. Narcissa... and myself like you. We want you to start getting better talent." This was not going anywhere near how you thought it would. It took all you had not to start stammering thank yous. Being personally groomed by two of the best agents around? You had to be dreaming. Soon you would wake up and find it just to be another normal day. 

You would be able to stop worrying what would happen when Mr. Friedman sold the complex and the new person inevitably raised your rent. You'd be the first to admit that maybe you had been living a bit out of your means, but you did so in order to present yourself as a more successful agent than you actually were. You smoothed your hands over your pencil skirt and tried to make the grin on your face a little bit less eager. "That's more than I could ever ask for. Thank you so so so much ma'am! I promise I won't let you down." Oops. Still too eager. Oh well. 

"Good to hear. You ought to start calling me Emeray. Well I've spent too long here. Goodbye, Miss ____." You waited until you were sure she wasn't coming back in to slowly get out of the chair and head to the one behind your desk, legs shaking. This was unbelievably fortuitous. You'd only been with the firm for 2 years, having spent your first 2 out of college managing small local acts and pretending you could afford to get another degree. The only good things you'd gotten out of those years were a basic knowledge of sign language (your most profitable client was, somewhat surprisingly, a sign language choir) and the job at PN Talent. You had met Narcissa Needles at a performance of the forementioned choir, where she was trying to snap them up for the agency. You walked in on her practically cornering the director and speaking to him about a contract. You told her they were taken, and then she offered you a job. It was a strange situation. Eventually the choir broke up because they were "seeing things differently" but your job remained.

And now it seemed like you had a new kind of job security. Now that you were alone, you pulled out your cell phone and called Mettaton. It rang exactly twice before he answered. "Hello dear! It took you a little longer than expected to give me a call, I was concerned about you!" His voice sounded a bit strained, and it concerned you. 

"Oh, it was nothing major. One of my bosses wanted to speak to me when I got back into the office. No big deal. Did you get home alright?"

"Yes of course, I got home a few minutes ago and went straight to my charging port. Can't have any fainting tonight when we finish our discussion! When are you free, darling?" Well, shit. You weren't free, you had to go check out Grillby's for Bentley. Maybe you could make this work. 

"Well, another client asked me to check out a bar that just opened to human traffic downtown, called Grillby's. I'll be headed there tonight but is there a chance you might meet me there? I'll buy you a drink." Please say yes. You really wanted to finish talking to Mettaton tonight so you could write a report for his file. And so you could book him before Narcissa got back in case this was all one big joke. 

"Grillby's? Well, I don't go there usually as I don't want to be overrun by my delightful fans but for you I could make an exception. Especially if my drinks are being paid for." You had definitely said drink, as in the singular, but whatever it took. 

"I'll meet you there around 8 PM or so? We can do a late dinner and drinks. Thanks Mettaton." Hopefully he didn't drink you into bankruptcy. Would the agency comp you for plying a talent with alcohol? Somehow you didn't think so, especially after the delicious and expensive salad you ate for lunch. Despite your worries, you were excited. Tonight, you would go to a new (well sort of) bar and meet a new client to finish work and celebrate your new promotion. Things were getting seriously better for you. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also this chapter is dedicated to those people you see at classy restaurants and steakhouses eating a $36 salad for dinner. Would that I were you, little weirdos.  
> Also also next chapter you're going to get drunk. So, if you're not a fan of that sort of thing I promise I'll put a front note with a reminder it happens and an end note with a summary of anything important that happened.


	5. In Which the Reader Knows Very Little About How Monster Liquors Work

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wowie, I meant to post this in the morning but then I hadn't finished and I had to go buy clothes and do life things. It came out quite long, I may have been a bit loquacious. I hate it when you think something is a skirt and it turns out to be wide pants. I always feel betrayed.
> 
> A reminder: This chapter contains descriptions of the Reader getting drunk and being drunk and also drinks. Drinking. I'll summarize at the end so as not to spoil it for those who will be reading it.

The rest of your day passed fairly smoothly. You finished the majority of the tasks you could, your talents were happy (one even managed to get a part in a TV show), and soon you found yourself driving home earlier than usual. This lead to you being stuck in traffic for longer than you would have liked, but you still made it home earlier than usual. So early, in fact, that you had time to watch Netflix on your couch and text people for reasons other than business. 

You had received a few texts from Papyrus over the course of the day but hadn't had a chance to answer. [5 new messages: Papyrus (New Neighbor) ] [9:05 AM: Papyrus (New Neighbor): HUMAN! I HAD AN EXCELLENT TIME AT YOUR HOUSE LAST NIGHT.] 

[New Message 11:05 AM: Papyrus (New Neighbor): I AM CURRENTLY AT MY JOB FOR KING ASGORE. I HELP HIM MAINTAIN HIS BEAUTIFUL FLOWERS. I AM GREAT AT IT!] [New Message 2:20 PM: Papyrus (New Neighbor): HUMAN I DID NOT KNOW YOU WERE FRIENDS WITH METTATON. HE IS MY FAVORITE ACTOR, MUSICIAN, AND CHEF. WE ARE GREAT FRIENDS!] [New Message 2:22 PM: Papyrus (New Neighbor): HE DIDN'T... MENTION ME, DID HE? DURING YOUR FRIENDLY LUNCH?] [New Message 2:25 PM: Papyrus (New Neighbor): NEVERMIND. IT DOESN'T MATTER. I HOPE YOU'RE HAVING A DAY AS GREAT AS I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS!! :) ] 

Huh. So Papyrus and Metatton were friends. You'd have to ask him about that later tonight. And on the point of later tonight, you were determined to look as good as you could, just in case there was anyone at the bar that you could benefit from meeting. The process of looking your best required a lot of tossing clothes on your bed and staring at them like they killed your family, stabbing yourself on accident with various makeup and hair implements, and debating on whether the weather was cool enough to warrant the blazer you wanted to wear. This was followed by you determining that you looked like you were trying too hard (which you were) and finally deciding on a casual look. Nice skinny jeans, a top and pumps that glittered, and the blazer you had been dubious about. You gave yourself cool makeup and messy hair and called yourself done. 

You then returned to your couch and finally decided what to text Papyrus in response. "Hey! Thanks for your well-wishes. Yeah, Mettaton's a pretty cool guy, I'm meeting up with him again tonight. :) I'll have to tell him you're becoming my neighbor." After that, you found Grillby's on your GPS and headed out. 

You were 15 minutes early for meeting Mettaton, so you decided to head in and maybe order food ahead of time. It kind of weirded you out to have Mettaton just sitting there watching you eat. That plan flew out the window when you stepped in the door. 

It seemed as though every single bar patron turned around and stared at you when you entered. It also seemed like you were the only human in the place. The monsters' gaze on you wasn't unfriendly, but it was confused. They must not get a lot of human traffic here. You walked up to the bar like it was something you did pretty often and took a seat. The bartender (or so you assumed) walked out of a room in the back and came over to take your order. Ok, he was made of fire. Ok, this was totally normal. Don't say anything you might regret. "Hey, hot stuff!" Shit. For someone whose job dealt with people, you were really socially inept. 

You swore you saw the bartender's eyebrows raise, and he leaned over to speak to you in a soft voice. "Hey there, what _skin_ I get you?" Ok so at least you didn't offend him, or he gives back as good as he gets. His voice was warm and soothing, like watching a fire on a cold winter morning. You chuckled a bit at his pun. 

"Sorry, I actually didn't know this bar existed until this morning. I'm here to test it out for one client and meet another. So, one of whatever you do best as far as food goes, and your most popular drink." You grinned a bit sheepishly at Grillby. 

"That'll be a burger and fries, and a Kindness Cocktail. It'll be up soon." Once you got past the shock that he was made of fire, you realized that Grillby was pretty handsome. It made you blush to yourself. While you were waiting for Mettaton or your food to arrive, you could feel someone staring at you. You turned towards that feeling and saw a bottle of ketchup, cap off and your new neighbor's lazy smile. "heya. was wondering when you'd notice me. do you always hit on bartenders, or do you find grillby particularly _hot_?" 

"Hey, I already used that pun! And he's Grillby? Like, presumably the owner Grillby? I guess I've stuck my ass in the fire, as it were." Not only did you make a somewhat racist move towards the bartender, said bartender owned the bar. Oh shit. 

"nah, he only lets people he really likes do that." You groaned. You couldn't say anything without sticking your foot in your mouth. Luckily, at that moment, Mettaton strolled in. Sans groaned. 

"_____, darling! I'm here! I do hope you haven't been waiting too long." Mettaton took a seat next to you with a brilliant smile. Sans gave you a somewhat horrified look. It seemed he wasn't Mettaton's biggest fan, despite his brother's interest. 

"No Mettaton, I haven't been waiting long. Just long enough to order a couple of things for myself." And make a fool of yourself. "Is there anything in particular that you'd like?" You weren't sure exactly what paying for Mettaton's drinks entailed. At lunch, he had ordered a drink but used it as a prop and a decoration. And he had specifically said drinks. You supposed you would find out. 

"Oh I have my own cocktail, dear! It was named after my show, "Cooking with a Killer Robot" and everyone I've seen drink it adores it. Grillby! Oh, Grillby!" The robot was leaned across the bar, waving at Grillby from where he must have been mixing a drink. You thought you saw Grillby sigh, and he walked back with a glass and a shaker. Oh, your drink. 

"I'm sorry if we rushed you. I wanted to mention, Mettaton will be on my tab tonight. If that's not any trouble. Thanks." You felt a little embarrassed by Mettaton's impatience. Oh well. Grillby shook the drink over his shoulders, then poured into the cocktail glass. The drink was brilliantly green and when he finished pouring, he lit it on fire with some sort of magic. "Oh my goodness! This is almost too pretty to drink, Grillby! Thank you!" 

Grillby sizzled at your response, his flames jumping a little bit. You were about to flirt with him when Mettaton cut in. "Grillby, darling, could I have my drink? You know, the Mixing with... Ok. _____, you're going to want to drink that before the flames go out or it won't be quite as good." 

You looked from Mettaton to Sans, a bit of terror in your eyes. "This isn't going to... Burn me or anything, right? No, that'd be crazy. It's just magic. Hah." You took a long drink of the cocktail and found it pleasantly warm and even a bit tingly. Then the magic hit you and it felt like you were cuddling with the softest and sweetest puppies and as though a dozen butterflies flew through your body and made you smile. "Oh... wow... I can, um, see why this is popular. Goodness." You were entirely flustered but weirdly comfortable. 

"Ok then darling, what else did you want to ask me? I know you didn't finish your questions at lunch today." You were still swimming with artificial elation but you forced yourself to focus and think of more questions for Mettaton. 

"Hmmm... Who would you say is your closest friend?" It would be interesting if he said Papyrus and you'd be able to text him something nice. While Mettaton was contemplating his response, Grillby arrived with your food and his cocktail. It wasn't flaming, but smelled like cinnamon and shimmered with an unknown light. "Oh, thank you Grillby! Do you have a drink menu by any chance?" He took a moment to think and then produced a laminated sheet from under the bar. 

"Well, if I had to answer... I'd say my best friend is... well... I haven't had much time for socializing since we got to the surface but I do occasionally speak to Dr. Alphys. She made me this fabulous body, after all." You wondered what that meant for Papyrus. But you weren't about to say anything. Regardless of this inconsistency, you still wanted to sign Mettaton. And you had asked about who he was closest to. 

"Ok, now something a little less personal. A penguin walks through that door right now wearing a sombrero. What does he say and why is he here?" You tried to look as professional as possible while hungrily devouring your burger. It was delicious, and the fries were delightful too. You reached for the ketchup without looking and wrapped your fingers around bony ones by mistake. 

"hey, if you wanted to hold my hand you just had to ask." You flushed nearly as red as the condiment you couldn't seem to remove your hand from. Your eyes met and you couldn't help but keep looking. His eye sockets were interesting. Deep black faded inward to a pale aqua that was more white than blue. Currently, they glimmered with good cheer. Then the spell was broken. 

Mettaton's phone rang loudly and he leapt up from the bar. "I'm sorry, _____ darling, but I need to take this. I'll be back in just a moment to answer your question. And could you get me another cocktail? That would be lovely." Somehow, Mettaton had managed to drink the cocktail. Some mysteries you would never figure out. 

"Y-yes. Sure. It'd be no problem, Mettaton dear. Heh. Heh," you stammered nervously. You could feel your blush starting to reach your neck, but that might have been because you had finished your Kindness Cocktail as well. When you had the nerve to look at Sans from the corner of your eye, he had dipped one of your fries in ketchup and was eating it, his face brilliantly blue. When did he even take your fry in the first place?! 

When you managed to get Grillby's attention you made up for your blush with a flirtatious smirk. "Grillby, I must say you're really _on fire_ with the drinks and food tonight. Can I get two Mettaton specials?"

Grillby crackled a little, which you interpreted as a laugh. Then he nodded and turned to mix them. Enchanted, you watched him work. 

"wow _____, I didn't know you had such a _burning_ interest in grillby." Sans sounded almost jealous. If you told him that you were taking such a vested interest in Grillby because you couldn't look at him without blushing, he'd probably laugh at you. 

So instead you went the awkward route. "Oh, no. I mean, he's good looking but I'm really interested in his um, mixing. I didn't pay attention when he made the first drinks. I've never had magical liquor before. I wonder if I'll develop any powers. Hah. Just kidding. Heh. SO, how are you?" You made the mistake of looking over at him and felt your blush return immediately. 

"actually, you'll feel a little different. the kindness cocktail makes you a little more friendly and receptive, and mettaton's... i'm not sure. never drank it. the effects are very small in monsters but who knows how it'll affect you. grillbz has opened his bar to humans since the first day they could come to this part of town and i'm pretty sure you're the first one to come." Sans tapped his fingers on the top of the bar a bit nervously. 

"Well, I hopefully won't be the last. The only reason I came here is because a talent asked me to check it out for them, and I'm going to tell them it was amazing! The food and drinks are so good and it's just such a nice and relaxing place. I'm going to get Grillby more human patrons if it's the last thing I do!" Grillby had chosen that moment to come back and he let off a small shower of sparks and smiled broadly at you. 

"Your drinks. Enjoy." The sparks tingled gently on your fingers. The drink was pleasantly warm to the touch. You took a drink and the warmth spread brilliantly through you. It felt like your whole body was blushing. Then, the spice from the cinnamon hit you and the only way you could describe the feeling was the feeling of your body being made of brilliant glitter. Was this how Mettaton felt? You felt confident in yourself and flirtatious. Definitely Mettaton, from what you could tell. 

And when he came back to the table you greeted him warmly. "Mettaton, you came up with this drink yourself? You are SO delightful. I will be more than happy to represent you soon. Let's sign paperwork next week." You put your hand on top of his and looked into his eyes. It was clear that the drinks were hitting him almost as hard. You felt like you could take on the whole world. 

After that, the night became a little blurred. You tried another cocktail, the Casual Coquette, and couldn't meet eyes with anyone for a half hour without feeling the desire to flirt and touch them. At some point, you and Mettaton sang loudly along to some song from Grillby's jukebox, dancing and making a fool of yourself. You remember Grillby writing his phone number on one of your receipts and you punching it into your phone excitedly. You remember talking to Sans about stars and galaxies and planets. 

But all good things must come to an end, and as the night grew later your two friends became a bit more... abrasive towards each other. The dislike made the air thick with tension like a swimming pool full of Jell-O pudding. 

The tension eventually came to a head when you realized you were far too drunk to drive home. You asked Grillby for water to stay hydrated (he looked at you nervously and shook his head) and you groaned and laid your head down on the bar. "I can't... drive... like this. I need someone to drive my car home if it's not any trouble or give me a ride and I'll come back for my car." 

"i will." "I will!" they spoke at the same time. Slowly, Mettaton and Sans turned to face each other and the entire bar went silent. "Sans darling, it's no problem for me to drive her home on my way. My navigation software is... well it's not completely functional right now but that's what cell phones are for, right?" 

"no. you've had a lot to drink too. i already know where her apartment is, paps and i are moving in next to her. i can drive her and i know a shortcut back." Sans tapped his slipper impatiently. 

"I wouldn't want you to have to go to all that effort, dear. I know you don't like to exert yourself. I insist." Mettaton stood a little more firmly in place. 

"no. i don't trust you." You turned and watched, fascinated, as Sans' eye lit up very slightly with blue magic. 

"I dare say I've never given you a reason not to trust me, Sans. What would dear Pappy think of this?" As things escalated, you felt like you should have done something to stop it but didn't know what. 

"you don't deserve to say my brother's name after how you've treated him." Sans' eye was glowing even more brightly now and you felt a weird relief that you weren't the only reason for their tension. 

Neither of them said anything but even you could feel the hum of magic in the air. All of the monsters who were still in the bar were looking between the duo's chests, horrified. You didn't understand. 

Finally, Grillby cut in and roared, "NOT IN MY BAR!" Sans and Mettaton broke apart, but you could still see brilliant blue in Sans' eye. 

After another moment of tense silence, Mettaton spoke up. "Perhaps you are right, Sans. You should take _____ home. She has work tomorrow. Goodnight, darling." 

"eye thought you'd see things my way. c'mon _____, lead me to your car." You climbed off your stool, and before you could even process your actions, ran around the bar to give Grillby a tight hug and a whispered "Bye hunk," before waving to Mettaton and following Sans out the door. 

You got to your car without incident and soon you two were driving silently through New Ebott's streets. After a minute or two of awkward tension, you both spoke at the same time. "sorry about what happened back there-" "What... happened back there?" The awkward tension returned for a brief moment before Sans cleared his (nonexistent) throat and answered you. "mettaton and i don't really get along. he uh... well, paps really likes him but mettaton is only his friend when it's convenient. it makes papyrus feel really bad and i don't like it. plus i didn't want him to drive you home because he wasn't in his right mind. wouldn't want anything bad to happen to my new neighbor, heh. i've only had ketchup so i'm alright." 

"But all the monsters in the bar were staring at you two. Did something happen? You can tell me anything, neighbor. I promise I won't even remember in the morning." That was probably true. You hadn't meant to get so drunk but it turned out that monster liquor was remarkably potent on humans. You should probably tell Bentley that, not to mention warn Grillby that he might need to water it down for human patrons. You would in the morning, you swore to yourself. 

"i'll remind you to tell them, kiddo. and as for that... don't worry about it. i'll tell you sometime when you aren't half passed out drunk." You had been thinking out loud. You groaned and shrank in your seat. Luckily, you only had a small amount of time to be mortified before Sans arrived at the complex. He parked and came around to help you get out. You had reached the point where you had become a sleepy drunk, and you leaned on him like a buoy in the sea. It was a good thing your building had an elevator. 

Sans was kind enough to take your keys, let you in to your apartment, force you to drink water, and tuck you into bed. He even sat with you for a while and talked to you (you had asked him to). He told you about what it was like when he first came to the surface, and you laid in bed enraptured by his words. "it was the first day of a new phase of my life. we didn't really live in the underground, we just survived. and when we got to the surface, the sun was rising. us, well, the first group to come out, we all stood there and watched the sun rise. at first, i could see the stars twinkling in the sky but they disappeared and the sun started to emerge. the entire landscape of new ebott was in silhouette and i realized my books had never done the surface justice. i'll never forget it." You smiled and reached out and held his hand. The two of you stayed like that for a little while without acknowledging it, but eventually Sans got up. "i'll let you get to sleep." Before you knew it, you had slipped into dreams. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mettaton's Signature Drink was found here: http://spiritedcharacters.tumblr.com/post/131319343244/mettaton-mixing-with-a-killer-robot-cream
> 
> Here's a brief summary of stuff that happened, in case someone isn't comfortable with reading the chapter: Reader gets home from work without incident, has a few hours to kill before meeting up with Mettaton at Grillby's. Papyrus mentions being friends with Mettaton, but when you ask Mettaton during your interview who his closest friend is, he ponders and answers that Dr. Alphys is. You flirt with Grillby a lot and maybe kind of have the hots for him? Sans is there too, and you feel a spark between the two of you, but flirt with Grillby more in order to play it off. Mettaton never answers a weird interview question. You promise to get Grillby more human patrons, as Sans mentions that you're the first. You make Grillby smile a lot and he slips you his number. It turns out that monster alcohol is vastly more potent on humans, and you find yourself incapable of driving home. Mettaton and Sans nearly come to a confrontation over who will drive you, but Grillby intervenes before it can come to blows. Sans drives you, tells you that Mettaton isn't a good friend to Papyrus, and so he doesn't like him that much. Avoids explaining what had happened when they nearly fought. He lets you in, tells you the story of his first few hours on the surface, and you hold hands for a little bit. And that's what happened last time on Gl-  
> Sorry.  
> Thanks to anyone who's reading this, and especially everyone who has interacted with me through comments, bookmarks, and kudos. I never thought anything I wrote would get any sort of views so I'm really flattered.


	6. Hangover

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the Reader has a monster hangover. No pun intended.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I mention drinking a little here, and the Reader spends the majority of the chapter hungover, so if that's not your cup of tea, I'm sorry ;~;

The thread of sunlight that peeked into your room in the morning stabbed your brain like so many knives. It was safe to say that monster liquor gave you a monster of a hangover. The good news was that the sunlight had woke you before your alarm, so you could shut it off. The bad news was that you didn't think you could convince yourself to leave the apartment until somebody turned the sun off. You forced yourself to get up, carrying the blankets with you like some sort of protective shell. That was, until you realized that you were still wearing last night's clothes. Your heels had been kicked off next to the bed but you were still fully dressed, blazer and all. 

Your muscles were exhausted and sore, but you forced yourself to change into a baggy t-shirt and sweatpants. Then you picked up your blankets, pulling them around you like they could make you feel human again, and shuffled out into your living room. You only had vague memories of last night. Grillby, the bartender and owner, smiling at you, giving you his number. Sans and Mettaton arguing over who'd drive you home, and Sans telling you something about a sunrise. You were sure you'd be able to think of more when your head didn't feel ready to explode. You looked at the floors as you walked to make sure both that you weren't tripping over your blankets and that you wouldn't see too much light. 

"_____, you're awake. you look like... not so good. can i get you some coffee? water? food?" A voice... you screamed, stumbled, fell on your butt. Overwhelmed, you felt tears leak from your eyes. It embarrassed you deeply. Why was Sans in your apartment? You were pretty sure he'd driven you home but you thought he would have left. You could see the skeleton's pink slippers draw closer, hesitating momentarily, then sans' face dropped into view. He sat down in front of you and he looked nervous. 

"hey, _____. i'm sorry, i didn't mean to startle you. you, uh, told me not to leave last night. i can see now that maybe you don't remember doing that. you said we'd talk in the morning. then you asked me a question about penguins. it was odd. i can leave if you want. uh, yeah... i'll just be going then. sorry about all this." You could remember asking him, all of a sudden. And you felt terrible about it. 

"No... Sans. It's fine. Just um, give me a minute to... fix myself. I'm not really functioning right now." You stood up, leaving your comfy blankets behind, and, shielding your eyes, walked over to your purse. You dug out your sunglasses and jammed them on your face, then slowly walked into your kitchen. You couldn't help but chuckle at the empty ketchup bottle you saw in the garbage as you cleared the old coffee grinds from your machine and made more coffee. 

"sorry about that. i'll buy you more ketchup. i woke up pretty early and i got bored."So Sans was a boredom... drinker? You poured yourself a glass of water while you were waiting for the coffee and forced yourself to drink it, grimacing at your scratchy throat. "So, what... happened last night? I remember bits and pieces so I have a general idea but I didn't do anything I'll regret, did I?" 

"not really, no. unless you count the part where you sang mettaton's songs with him... or the parts where you flirted with grillby. you even hugged him when you left. i wouldn't be surprised if he gave you a call sometime today. there was definitely a _spark_ between you two." You remembered flirting with Grillby, partially because the bartender (from what you could recall) was remarkably good-looking, and partially because you didn't want Sans to see your interest. 

"Ok, I've done worse. This is fine. I'll have to call work, though. No way I can go in like this." You were a firm believer in the "hair of the dog" hangover remedy and reached into your liquor cabinet. You poured a generous shot of Bailey's into your coffee before offering it to Sans. "Have you ever had human drinks before? They aren't quite as... potent." 

Sans stared at you like you were insane. "____, it isn't even 9 yet. i know you had a lot last night but i didn't know you had a problem." You laughed, even though the sound reverberated unpleasantly in your head. "Oh, no. I don't actually drink that often. Mostly socially. Humans have a lot of hangover cures that they believe in. A common one, and one that I think, is that drinking a little when you have a hangover will help it go away faster. We say it's the hair of the dog that bit you." You sipped your coffee slowly, looking at Sans over your glass. Your sunglasses turned him a delicate amber color. 

"i see. most monsters cook greasy food with fire magic, and it helps them feel better. really, any food cooked with magic heals. do you want me to um, make you something? to make up for frightening you?" While food didn't sound good to your stomach, you knew that eating would help you. "You'd do that? That would be so nice. Yeah. There's eggs, and ham steaks, and some potatoes and stuff in there. Make whatever you want, and I'll view you as a saint. I gotta call work." 

Sans was too nice. You were certain he had other things to do but instead he chose to stick around and make sure you were in functioning order. You went back into your room and found that Sans had even plugged your phone in sometime during the night, as it was fully charged. Grimacing at it, you dialed work and waited for someone to answer. 

"PN Talent, this is Marcus." Your (and a few other people's, to be fair) assistant picked up on the third ring.

"Hey Marcus, it's _____. I'm not going to be able to come in to the office today. I'll be working from home. If I have any meetings, could you please reschedule them for tomorrow or some other day this week?" 

"Wow _____, you sound like someone hit you with a sledgehammer. Let me check..." He hummed while looking at your calendar and it made your head ache. "You're clear for today, but you have two meetings tomorrow. I'll shoot you an email." Someone up above must be looking out for you. 

"Yeah. Thanks. Bye." You hung up and then made your next call. Bentley had to be called every day, hangover be damned. "Hey Bentley, it's _____. Good morning." 

"Well, someone doesn't sound that cheerful. Did you do that thing I asked for?" Big talents were always so demanding. You were pretty sure he asked for the calls just to see if he could make someone do so. But he made Narcissa a lot of money. 

"Yeah, I went to Grillby's. I had a really good time. Too good, actually. The food is excellent and all of the drinks I had were great too. Have you ever had monster alcohol before?" It wouldn't surprise you if he had. Bentley was... adventurous, to say the least. 

"No, actually. I've been meaning to, which is why I had you go to Grillby's." So you did need to warn him. 

"Um... well. Because they're made of magic, monster drinks are a lot more intense than human ones. And all the drinks I had last night had extra... effects. Definitely worth going, but watch yourself and bring water. The bartender doesn't touch the stuff. Bring all your friends, too. It was a great time." Hopefully telling Bentley it was good would bring more traffic, and you'd definitely recommend the bar to anyone who asked. 

"With a recommendation like that, I sure will. Thanks, cutie." He hung up and you felt weirdly violated by the nickname. 

You headed out to the couch, bringing your phone and your laptop with you. You fetched your coffee and your blankets and prepared yourself for a day spent working from home. 

Absorbed in coffee and emails, you forgot Sans was around until he appeared with a steaming plate of food. Your stomach growled in appreciation and you blushed. "Thank you so much Sans, I really appreciate it. Um, feel free to stick around or leave or whatever. I'm sorry about this morning. And last night." 

"it's not too much, just some stuff all fried up together. i'd better get going though, i need to get to work. uh, don't worry about it. i'll see you later. we still on for saturday?" 

"We were never off. See you Sans, thanks so much." Totally not awkward. You just told someone to stay last night, when you were drunk then forced them to deal with you and make you breakfast in the morning. And then you shooed them out with barely any sort of thank you. Totally normal. 

You went to text him to say thank you again but were sidetracked by some texts sitting in your inbox. [4 New Messages] 

[11:30 PM Papyrus (New Neighbor): WHILE I APPRECIATE YOUR CONCERN I'M NOT SURE WHAT YOU MEANT TO SAY ABOUT METTATON. WHAT DOES "METTATOWN SA FTLEIRJK,G ALPFEES :(" MEAN?] 

[3:30 AM Mettaton (TALENT!!): I do hope you got home alright. I apologize for the scene... that happened. Are you able to meet Friday for that paperwork? Stay fabulous, dear! I'm plugging myself in right now, so goodnight!] 

[8:30 AM Griilllbbzzz (HOT bartnedr): Hey, _____. Just wanted to check in on you. :) Wouldn't be surprised if you're not feeling so hot today. Sorry about that, didn't realize the drinks would be so strong for humans.] 

[8:35 AM Griilllbbzzz (HOT bartnedr): I'd be willing to make it up to you with a meal sometime today. Bar's closed, but I live upstairs. Give me a call if you're interested. Let's see if I'm still on fire ;)] 

As you sat there, gaping at Grillby's invitation, your phone vibrated in your hand. This text was from Sans. [New Message: Sans (You're Welcome): hey i hope i didn't make u feel awkward. at work but would've stayed otherwise. try  & feel better.] 

You couldn't tell which text made your heart pound harder. You couldn't help but smile noticing that Sans had also changed his contact name. Speaking of which, you had to adjust those. Couldn't let anyone see the phrase "HOT bartnedr" in your phone anytime soon. 

You sent a generic thanks to Mettaton and confirmed your meeting time and told Papyrus not to worry about your drunk texts. Easier to deal with for now. But Grillby and Sans... 

After finishing your breakfast and coffee and staring at each text for a decent amount of time, you were feeling a lot more alive, so you gave responding a shot. You started with Sans but were unable to come up with anything to say other than a simple "Thank you!" He was at work, so you figured you'd just text him later on when you felt less awkward about everything.

On the other hand, responding to Grillby was pretty easy. "Hey Grillby! I'm thankful I was able to get your number in right, lol! Think you can squeeze me in for a late lunch around 2 or so? Nothing holds a candle to your cooking. ;)" 

Grillby responded immediately, to your surprise. He must not be too busy on days the bar is closed. [New Message: Grillby (A/N: Imagine fire emojis?): More than happy to. :) You'll be the hottest thing in my kitchen.] 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heh. I kinda figured out some stuff for this to be a slow burn. Let's just say you have some flaming passion for Grillby. ;)  
> I blame it partially on the fact that I was listening to insaneintherainmusic's Live at Grillby's album while I wrote the second half of this. It's really excellent, and you can listen to it on YouTube or buy a digital or physical copy. Toby Fox even approved of it. So good. Sorry not sorry for the unsolicited promotion.


	7. Hangout

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You go to Grillby's for your lunch date.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things get a little bit hot this chapter. If a make-out session is not something you'd like to read, please Ctrl+F and search for ***. You can tell when it's coming (it starts after Grillby turns the stove off) and use the search function to skip to after. :)

You spent the rest of your morning alternately rushing through your work and pausing to squeal excitedly about your lunch date. It had been a while since the last time you went on a date. It wasn't a common occurrence for you to find someone attractive and have them immediately reciprocate. And Grillby had made his opinion of you entirely transparent. 

Despite only having met the evening before, you felt like you had an easy friendliness with with Grillby. It may have been due, at least in part, that after you drank the Casual Coquette you locked eyes with Grillby and couldn't help but wonder aloud if the rest of his body was as tantalizing as the parts his shirt left exposed. Mettaton and Sans both gave you shocked stares while Grillby merely chucked and said that the cocktail reduced inhibitions. When Mettaton inquired further, concerned for you, Grillby explained that it amplified what was already there. He apologized for the drink's potency on humans, mentioning that he hadn't served a human before. 

Eventually, you finished enough to convince yourself that the rest could be done when you came home from Grillby's, and you practically sprinted into your closet to figure out what you would wear. Again, you interrogated your closet, again, you showered, only this time making sure to dig out your seldom-used blowdrier and dry your hair until it couldn't get any drier. After the face Grillby made when you asked for water last night, you felt like showing up with damp hair would be a serious faux pas. After a few other things, including makeup, the woman you saw in the mirror was attractive and looked in no way like she had spent the first half of her day hungover in a mass of blankets. You smiled and winked at yourself in the mirror and headed off to Grillby's. 

As though the universe knew you might get nervous if given the time to think, your drive had no traffic and almost no red lights. In fact, you were so much earlier than you had expected that you drove slowly around the block, examining the neighborhood and admiring the local businesses. One bakery smelled so good that if you hadn't already been promised lunch, you would've headed in and indulged yourself. 

Once you finished your loop, you parked and knocked on the bar door. You also dialed and gave Grillby a call, figuring he might not hear your knock. The call got sent to voicemail almost immediately, because the flickering man was coming to let you in. You couldn't help but smile as you watched him approach. he was wearing a charcoal grey button down shirt with sleeves rolled to the elbow and a neat pair of jeans. Your drunk memory of him was exactly as handsome as the monster that nervously pushed up his glasses before opening the door. 

"I believe I was promised a meal from a handsome man?" You tried to calm your fluttering heart by directing your nervousness into flirtation. It still felt a bit awkward, but hopefully it didn't show. 

"Well, I don't want to disappoint such a pretty lady. I've got something special planned." Grillby extended a hand to you and you took it, letting him lead you upstairs. When he opened the door to his flat, you couldn't help but audibly gasp. He had lit candles and a beautiful, luminous flower sat in a small vase on the kitchen table. You clapped a hand over your mouth for a moment before turning to Grillby. 

"Oh Grillby... this is so romantic. I'm so flattered." You couldn't help but turn around and give him a tight hug. His warm arms wrapped around your waist, holding you close. After a few seconds, you separated a little and you looked up at Grillby. As though it were a romance movie, you lost yourself in his smile. When he began to lean down, you stretched up on your toes to meet him halfway. Besides the obvious differences, Grillby's body was very similar to that of a human male's. So when a pair of smooth, tangible lips met yours, the only thing that surprised you was a light, tingling vibration. You attributed that to the fact that he was made of magic before you couldn't think anymore. Everything was just how amazing the moment was, how warm, how real, how your heart fluttered. 

Kissing Grillby was the nicest thing you'd done in a while. When you two finally parted, you could still feel the hum of his magic on your lips. You smiled wide and Grillby gave that chuckle you adored. 

"I suppose I should get to cooking. As much as I'd like to kiss you all afternoon, I did promise food." The huskiness in his tone made your knees weak, but you couldn't deny that you also felt a little bit smug. 

Grillby led you to his kitchen, which was as nice as kitchens you'd seen in mansions. You could tell that it was his pride and joy. While you gawked at the beautiful countertops and high quality appliances, Grillby hummed softly to himself and rummaged around in his fridge. He found what he was looking for fairly quickly- He pulled out chicken breasts, fresh greens, and a delicious looking cheese. This looked like a fancier lunch than you had originally pictured. 

First, he cut a pocket in each breast and stuffed it with a mixture of the greens and cheese, then coated it in butter and put it on a grill section of his stove. You watched in admiration as the meat sizzled on the grill (which you noticed he was heating with fire magic) and the smell beginning to fill the room made your stomach growl. 

When Grillby pulled the chicken off, he saw your excited expression and apologized, "I meant to cook some vegetables, too. Sorry. It'll be a bit longer." 

"Don't worry about it. I don't mind waiting a little." You were still unbelievably flattered that he'd go to all of this trouble in the first place. While Grillby tossed some green beans in a pan with olive oil and garlic, you opened cabinets until you found plates. You pulled two down, reaching on the tips of your toes, and blushed when you heard Grillby's deep chuckle again. 

"You are just too cute sometimes." Grillby had turned the stove off, but stood with his hands against it, admiring you. When your hands were empty, he walked up to you, cupped your chin, and met you in another kiss. If the last kiss had been just a tingle, this one would be a full-on smoulder. Your hands reached up his chest and finally found their place clasping behind his neck. You felt the delightful heat of his hands tracing your sides. Things intensified pretty quickly and before you knew it, Grillby had you seated on top of an empty counter with his body pressed against yours and your tongues fighting for dominance. The hands that had stroked your sides now slowly slid under your shirt. 

Grillby's lips left yours only to press against your neck. Your breath left you in a small, wavering moan and he chuckled again. You were claiming that chuckle as yours. He was exceptionally good at finding the best places to kiss and touch you and you lost yourself for a brief moment. His lips found yours again and suddenly you were working your way out of your shirt. Grillby began exploring the newly unveiled territory and your hands slid up his torso to begin unbuttoning his shirt. 

One. He traced the shape of your breasts in the cup of your bra. 

Two. His fingers traced your collarbones, followed by kisses on each one. 

Three. His mouth on the juncture of your neck and shoulder made you tremble. 

Four. His mouth claimed yours once more and you clutched his shirt to stop him from pulling away. You were willing to let this keep going. Your fingers danced over the part of his chest and stomach that you'd managed to expose so far and Grillby gave a low moan. 

Five. You were so engrossed in each other that neither of you heard the knock at Grillby's flat's door or the voice that said they were letting themselves in. 

***

What you did hear, however, was, "hey grillbz, just picking up the hoodie i left- oh!" Sans had walked into the kitchen to see the ignored food and the two of you looking very, very awkward and chagrined all of a sudden. 

"oh. hey _____. i see you're feeling better. i guess you _really_ believe in that hair of the dog thing. heh. guess in this case it's the uh, flame of the bartender that served you. well, i'll get out of you two's way." Sans hurried out of the room and you heard the front door shut after a minute or so. 

You and Grillby shared an embarrassed stare. He looked a little guilty. "I'm sorry, I forgot I told him he was fine to come by last night. I remembered when I was making plans with you that he would pop in, but I didn't think that we'd be... Like this. He gestured to your bodies, which had barely an inch or two of separation, and your shirt, which was hanging over the side of the kitchen sink. 

"Yeah, this wasn't what I originally imagined when you said lunch. Not that I'm complaining! Before we were interrupted, I was really enjoying you. I know you said I'd be the hottest thing in your kitchen but my view is completely sizzling, babe." Your voice was a little rough but it seemed to have a positive effect on Grillby. He leaned back in and gave you a few long, lingering kisses before pulling away for real and offering a hand to help you off the counter. 

Your lunch had gotten cold but after some expertly applied fire magic, it was steaming like it was fresh again. The stuffed chicken and green beans Grillby made was even more delicious than his burgers and you complimented him at every opportunity. Despite all the time you spent talking, both of you were soon both finished and without a reason to invite you to stay, you and Grillby were headed back to his door. 

"That was probably the best lunch I've ever had. You are an amazing cook, Grillby." 

"I was happy to cook for you, _____." You both hesitated at the door. Even though you still had to head downstairs and through the bar, the door symbolized the end of your date. 

"I think, all things considered, today was better than I ever could have imagined." That was your honest opinion. You had expected at least a little bit of awkwardness between Grillby and yourself but you hadn't thought that you two would have such undeniable chemistry. Sans had teased you about a spark, but your easy connection would need one hell of a fire hose to put out. 

"I agree. I normally don't remove people's clothes on the first date, but for you, I'll make an exception just this once." He gave you a smirk and you had a fleeting desire to head back into the kitchen and pick up where you left off. 

"So, would you be willing to go out sometime soon? Maybe somewhere a bit harder to get me out of my shirt. Or not. You had me pretty convinced that it was your modus operandi for dates." You winked and you could feel his face heat up, both literally and figuratively. 

"Yes... I'd like that very much. Are you free Saturday? I'd be willing to close up the bar for a few hours for a good cause." 

"Actually, I'm booked this weekend. Sans and I have tickets to the science center on Saturday and he and Paps move in across the hall on Sunday. I mean, I'm not physically involved but I promised my landlord I'd be around to help them out. I probably shouldn't have offered so soon, you probably think I'm a flake now..." 

"No, just kind and incredibly busy. I'd like to see you before next Tuesday, if it's possible. Got to get my fill of _____ now that you've got me hooked." You blushed brilliantly red and Grillby gestured to you as if to say _my point_. 

"Hmm, well... it wouldn't exactly count as a date but I'd be happy to stop by downstairs when I can during the week, and definitely on the weekend to keep you company. But only if you promise not to get me drunk and take advantage." You couldn't help but giggle a little as you offered. 

"Hey, you're the one who asked about my body and called me a hunk. If anything, I have to catch up on flirting with you." Grillby looked extremely pleased with your suggestion. 

"Well, I'll be sure to give you the opportunity. If that's alright." 

"Certainly. I hope to see you more often, Miss _____. Might even see about getting some human liquors in for the patrons you promised me last night," he said in a slightly teasing voice. You smiled at him and gave him a kiss on the cheek. He held you tight and kissed you on the top of the head before opening the door for you and following you downstairs. 

"Wanted to make sure you get to your car ok. Plus I try and come down here a couple times on days I'm not open to make sure Sans isn't drinking all my ketchup and leaving whoopie cushions on my seats." 

"Do you ever catch him?" 

"Not usually. He knows a pretty quick way out. But the last time I managed to catch him, he looked so shocked I let him leave the cushions." 

"Did you really? Why?" 

"Makes both of us laugh, and he looked like he needed one." 

By then you two were at the bar's entrance. The sun was setting and you were content to stand there for a moment with Grillby, leaning against his chest a little. Then you turned and kissed him on the lips, the sunset shining through the bar's front doors behind you. It was the best first date you'd ever had. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [ Literally Sans. ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L4SSvmdJyis)  
>  But that got... toasty. To the joy (probably) of those who've said they like Grillby here, and the slight disappointment of those who want us to be sinners already, Grillby's gonna be around for a little while.  
> Also, shoutouts to everyone who has left a kudos, comment, or bookmark or who are even reading this far. I'm not a great writer or really even a good one but the interest this has received so far has encouraged me and given me some more _determination_ to keep going.


	8. Resolve

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You talk to Sans.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a pretty short chapter, but for two in one day I'm pretty ok with it. I was going to include a little bit more but I hit a nice spot to end the chapter and decided to post.

You couldn't remember driving home and finishing up your work for the day because you were lost in thoughts of your date. You smiled reading emails, you smiled making calls, smiled skipping dinner, and tried to while brushing your teeth. In fact, you were blissfully ignorant of anything that wasn't your possible relationship with Grillby until bedtime. You had a text from Sans. [New Message: Sans (Skeleneighbor): sorry.] 

Instantly, your happy cloud was weighed down by guilt. You should apologize to Sans, not the other way around. You hadn't properly thanked him for all of his help and he had the misfortune to walk in on you wrapped around Grillby and nearly completely topless. 

You hurriedly texted him back, "Can we talk?" You had more apologies than you could coherently text. While you were waiting for a response from Sans, you sent Grillby a goodnight. You two had been texting back and forth ever since you got home. He wished he had made you stay and wash dishes. You cautiously asked how that worked for him, and all he said was "very carefully". Turned out that he normally used disposable plates to avoid water. He even paid a local kid to wash the bar's dishes. 

Sans replied before Grillby did. [k. call or do u want me to come by? just read paps his bedtime story.] 

You took a moment to ponder it. It might be awkward to have him come over but phone calls could be a bit difficult sometimes. "Whatever's clever." 

[k. be there in 5 or 10.] Well, shit. It was a good thing you were wearing decent pajamas. You got up and made tea, nervous. Your phone lit up. [New Message: Grillby <3 : Goodnight, beautiful. Thanks for a spectacular day. <3] Suddenly, you were less nervous.

You carried your mug of tea and honey to the living room and curled up in the corner of the couch. Hopefully Sans would come soon, or you didn't think you'd be awake for very long. But soon, you heard the telltale ding of the elevator, and you were able to come to the door before Sans knocked. 

"hey." The first thing you noticed was that you and Sans had the same slippers. The second was that in that moment you forgot all of your worries and all of the things you wanted to apologize to him about because all of your nervousness came back. 

"Hey. Do you want tea, or cocoa? Um, feel free to come in. Um..." Well, you hadn't been awkward during a large chunk of your day so you supposed it had to come back eventually. 

"tea i guess. thanks." Sans walked into your apartment slowly, cautiously, as though there was someone in there he didn't want to disturb. 

You fled to the kitchen, fixing a mug of tea for Sans as slowly as possible so you could have a moment to figure things out. All of your elegantly-worded, perfect apologies had left your brain and all you had left was something like an apology for making his life awkward and also for him walking in on you topless. You supposed that an in-person apology was much different than one drafted for a client but you wished you had someone to write the answers to your problems out for you to make it easier. You knew you had worded that in a different way before to make you seem like less of a loser. Unfortunately, his tea was fixed long before you could figure yourself out, so you carried it out to Sans and prepared to face the music. 

"Here. Um, ok. I wanted to talk because... well. I'm... um. Well. I'm sorry for making your life incredibly weird and awkward in a multitude of ways during the last 24 hours or so and I really hope we can still be friends and I've only known you in person for like three days now so I can totally understand why you might think i'm some insane hot mess but I'm actually pretty well put together most of the time, like I just sort of got a promotion at work and people like me and I'm just so sorry Sans... for all of it. I'm sorry I made you stay and then freaked out and kicked you out and barely texted you back and then you saw me solidly making out with your friend after you'd already been invited over and good googly moogly that just sounds like a bunch of dumb stuff from when I was a teenager and I'm sorry. This is just as awkward as everything has been with you all day. Sorry... I just-" 

Thankfully, Sans took the chance to interrupt you and cut off your anxiety driven diatribe. "look. _____. you don't need to apologize for any of that. ok, so you were a bit... clingy when you were drunk and you didn't remember right away the next morning. that's fine. you apologized. you thanked me for helping you out, and that's enough. this afternoon was... odd. but it wasn't your fault that grillby doublebooked or you two were... well, anyway, i guess my point is don't sweat it. paps likes you a lot and i think you're pretty cool. you did a lot for us with this whole apartment thing, and i don't know any other human that would do that." After that, he seemed to realize he had said a lot and promptly stopped. 

You blushed at Sans' assurances. You still felt terrible about all of it, but you were glad he still was ok with you. You stared down into your nearly-empty mug, unsure of what to say. 

"so, you and grillby, huh?" Sans looked like he was about to make a joke and instead drank tea, waiting for you to respond. 

"Yeah, I think so. He asked me over today and well... as you saw we really get along. I hesitate to put a label on anything since it's only been one date, but we're going to go out again sometime soon and I'm going to visit him at the bar when I can." You smiled dreamily, like you had been all day long. 

"oh. i see. i made jokes, i know, but you sure you know what you're getting into?" Sans actually looked nervous. He must have known something about Grillby that you didn't, because he didn't seem like the kind of guy that you'd hear that about. 

You waggled your eyebrows at Sans. "No, but I'd like to." 

"heh, forget i said anything. you two go pretty well together. you'll be fine, kid. i'll see you when i see you and if not i'll see you saturday morning." Sans set his empty mug down and moved to leave. 

You got up and followed him, letting him out with a smile and a kind "good night." Before you went to bed, you took the two mugs to your sink and breathed a sigh of relief. You didn't know that Sans was doing the same thing in the hallway. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I rewrote the end of that conversation a couple times and this was just how it turned out. Not sure exactly what kind of background I want Grillby to have here. Also if I come back tomorrow and decide just to include this in a larger chapter, it might disappear. So hoi, i'm temmie!


	9. Cultivate (Relationships)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Your boss sends you on a task that you're more than suited for.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just wanted Reader to have a good day, ok?

Wednesday morning, you woke feeling completely content. Your soon-to-be neighbors were your friends, you possibly had a boyfriend, or would soon, and you were finally getting ahead at work. Nothing could slow you down; you decided that today was going to be a great day. 

You dressed extra cute for work and even treated yourself to bought coffee on the way, then arriving early. You got comfy at your desk, and not five minutes later, you received an email from your boss. 

_____. Come to my office as soon as you read this. - N. Needles. 

While on any other day, this would have been read as foreboding, you dismissed it as just your boss wanting to speak with you after being away. You immediately left your office and headed up to hers. 

And it turned out, you were right. Narcissa merely wanted to discuss your performance on the duties she left you while she was gone, and actually commended you for your management of some of her clients. As you had previously expected, this had been a test of she and Emeray Pinn's trust in you, and you passed. When you mentioned the favor you'd done for Bentley she stopped you for a second and sat, thinking. 

Eventually, she spoke. "____, we've needed a place to host our next agency event for a while and I think this new bar of yours will do the trick. Normally I wouldn't ever do this but since you did so well with the double load this week, I'll handle your clients today. Take the day off and do whatever it takes to get Grillby's interested in working with us." 

If you were a more kind person, you would have told Narcissa that all it would take would be you going over during your lunch hour and asking nicely, and that she didn't have to do this for you, especially after just returning from being away. But you weren't that kind, and part of you felt like it was a fair trade, especially when one considered the considerably larger workload you had had dealing with Narcissa's talents. 

So you smiled and said,"Sure thing. No problem!" and took your storebought coffee and went home. It was clear that the universe was being kind to you today, so you were going to take advantage of it. All the songs that came on the radio on your drive home were songs you liked, and by the time you got back to your couch, you were in the best mood you had been in in a while. 

You toyed with the idea of texting Grillby to let him know you'd be in as soon as he opened (Google told you he opened at 1 PM) but decided to surprise him instead. You did something you used to do when you got into relationships that you knew was kind of creepy- you searched Grillby's name. You found some articles sourced from the UnderNet (a lot of monsters got together for a project to integrate it with the Internet a few months after the barrier came down) talking about Grillby's bar from before. It had been in an area called Snowdin, and was a popular spot for the town's residents. Apparently he used to be open all day, but limited it once he opened a place on the surface. Some monsters in the comment section had complained about it but others had pointed out that Grillby needed time to enjoy the surface too. You felt guilty for snooping around after only reading the first article; and yet still, Sans' words from the previous night made you feel the slightest bit of concern. Maybe he had just meant something based on how... physical your relationship seemed to him. He didn't want you to be in over your head, or, as your future neighbor, didn't want to hear anything. You dismissed your misgivings and closed your search tabs. If something really was weird about Grillby, you were sure it'd come up.

You spent a couple hours reading and watching Netflix, taking full advantage of your day off. If Narcissa wanted to take your clients, you'd let her. Although, even that seemed a little fishy to you, in retrospect. But again, you shrugged it off. Nothing to worry about. After being comfortably lazy, you drove up to Grillby's right around 1:30. 

The bar had a somewhat populated but tremendously lazy atmosphere when you came in, and you couldn't help but smile. A couple of dogs were playing cards in the corner, a family or two were in booths eating Grillby's burgers, and there were a couple people seated at the bar, but only one you recognized. Grillby must have been in the back somewhere. You noticed Grillby was talking to a large goat woman, and seated next to her was a kid. Wait. They looked familiar. Was Sans casually talking to the Queen of Monsters and the human ambassador, Frisk? You walked over very slowly, and picked up a little of what Sans was saying. 

"so paps and i are finally moving on sunday. got this amazing deal on a place. there's actually this human, ____ who will be living across from us and helped us get it. she's the nicest human i've met, other than you, kiddo. what do you mean there's someone staring at me?" Sans turned and saw you smiling broadly. Looks like you two really were ok. "funny how that happens. kid, toriel, this is _____ _____, in the flesh. thought you'd be working, _____." 

"It's nice to meet you, Queen Toriel, Ambassador Frisk." You slowly signed along with what you were saying, and Frisk's face lit up with joy. _You can sign?_

"Not very well. I had a talent that did, and I learned. But speaking of talents, I guess the client that sent me here to begin with recommended it to my boss. She told me to take the day off so I could get Grillby to let us host an event here." Thank goodness you had tried really hard to learn to sign when you worked with that choir. You knew that your hands would be pretty tired later, but it was worth it to meet Frisk of all people. 

"heh, well, that should be easy for you. real easy." Sans took a quick drink of ketchup when he saw you giving him a stern look. You didn't want to tell that many people about you and Grillby until you were sure that you were a thing. You were fairly certain that you two would be soon, but you didn't want to jump the gun. As though he heard your conversation, Grillby emerged from the back with burgers and fries and some sort of pie for Toriel. When he saw you casually sitting next to Sans his flames shot up a little in surprise and he almost dropped an order of fries off the tray. Frisk giggled, then looked at you and signed _You know Grillby?_ You blushed a little and were totally focused on Grillby. Sans took the opportunity. 

"yeah kiddo, she _knows_ grillby." When Frisk was distracted by the food Grillby set down (in fact, they digged in like they hadn't seen food in weeks) you elbowed Sans in the ribs. "Sans. Please." He just gave you a grin and settled in to eat. Grillby stopped in front of you once he served the other three and smiled warmly. 

"I didn't expect you to be here so soon. Isn't this a bit far from work?" Grillby looked like he didn't mind at all about any sort of distance. 

"Actually, I got the day off today, kind of. Can I talk to you in the back for a minute? Business stuff." Grillby nodded and waved you towards the door you had taken yesterday. You headed back that way and after a momentary glance around to make sure everyone was fine, he followed you. When you two were alone, Grillby did not hesitate even a second to kiss you. It was the kind of kiss that could escalate quickly, but you somehow managed to stop yourself from letting it. 

"Business stuff first?" As much as you'd enjoy making out with Grillby in the stairwell, you did come here with a reason. And you'd be damned if one incredibly charming flame elemental was going to distract you. "I mentioned my work a bit yesterday, and it's actually part of why I'm here. My bosses throw classy, company-funded parties a couple times a year. And I guess Bentley, the client who sent me here to begin with recommended this place as a location for the next one. So my boss, as a symbol of her faith in me, sent me down here to negotiate the use of your space for our next event. I'm guessing it'd be in the next month or two, and you'd mainly be talking to my bosses, Narcissa and Emeray about it. But I'd make sure to be very, _very_ involved if you let us use it..." You stared up at Grillby nervously. You had leaned against the wall, and when he kissed you, he had leaned over you a bit and hadn't yet moved away. Despite being distractingly good-looking, you could see the potential for Grillby to be quite intimidating. 

But right now, his previously sultry expression had become a thoughtful one. "Do you know how much they pay for spaces? Would they want me to cater as well? There's a lot to consider. I don't like the thought of someone else using my bar, especially with some of the liquors I stock and methods I use." 

"Well, I don't know the specifics of how they plan those things but I think it'll just be the space they want from you. They usually buy all of the liquors and wine they want, I think. As far as I understand it, my job here is to give you the contact information and tell you that we'd like to do an event at your establishment. That being done, however... I'm willing to hang out all day if you'd like." 

"I'll give your boss a call. Certainly wouldn't hurt to get human publicity." After he said that, Grillby took the opportunity to show you just how much he wanted you to stay. You didn't resist the escalation this time. 

You only parted when you could hear a dog in the restaurant asking for Grillby. Your hair was mussed badly, your top was partially off of your shoulder, and you could feel where your lipstick was smeared. But Grillby somehow looked worse. Half of the crisp, white dress shirt he wore to tend bar in was unbuttoned, and his vest was completely open. His bowtie had somehow made it to the floor. While he didn't have skin that you could have left hickeys on, you saw a couple of spots where the flames of his body had grown hotter in response to your kisses and gentle bites. They shined blue against the reds, oranges, and yellows that reigned dominant. And Grillby looked... pleased as hell. 

"Sorry, I guess I got a little carried away," you murmured, your voice a little more sensual than you could help. Grillby gave you a smug look that mirrored the one you made yesterday. Of course, he also looked like he wanted to ignore his entire bar and ravish you then and there. 

"I like it when you get carried away." The only way you could describe his voice was smoky. He had succeeded in fixing his buttons and was attempting to retie his bow tie. You took pity on him and helped him out. He returned the favor by gently running his fingers through your hair and trying to make it look presentable. You supposed it would do just fine, since it felt like a warm comb. 

"Thanks. Um... can I ask you one more thing before we head back in?" You bit your lip, nervous. 

"Go ahead."

"Do you care if people know... about, well... us, I guess? I don't know where we are as far as well... you know. But Sans seems to like torturing me and is making very pointed comments near Toriel and Frisk. I didn't want to say anything because I didn't know your feelings on the matter but I guess here's my chance to know and I'm sorry if you haven't given it much thought..." You really tended to ramble when you were nervous. 

"Well, I'd like to call you my girlfriend, and that's what I told Sans you were when I apologized to him last night. I didn't think you'd mind after how well things went." Well, that was simple. Sans must have taken enjoyment in your awkwardness if he had seen you after Grillby. 

You couldn't help but giggle, "Only if I can call you my boyfriend." Grillby looked delighted and swooped in to give you another kiss. Then, being the kind person that could actually see your face, he swiped the mussed lipstick off as best he could. You pulled out your phone and used it's reflective surface to get the rest and then took a deep breath. "Do I look like I've been soundly made out with? I feel like everyone will know." 

"They might. Especially the Dogs. Does that bother you?" With that, Grillby moved ahead of you to open the door back to the bar area. 

You gave him a big smile. "Not one bit." You took the offered door and found your seat next to Sans again. By this point, Frisk had devoured his entire burger and was working on the fries. Toriel was a polite halfway through her pie (were those snails?) and Sans was drinking ketchup. Frisk took the opportunity to ask _How do you know Grillby?_

You turned to him, grin still shining on your face. "Grillby's my boyfriend." Sans dropped his ketchup bottle on the floor. The sound of it shattering attracted all eyes to your little group just as Frisk signed _How long have you been dating Grillby?_ Apparently every monster in the place could understand Frisk because you could hear an echo of surprised gasps and barks. Toriel was staring you down like she was investigating a murder. 

"Didn't you say something about business before you two left?" Apparently, she didn't approve of stealing the bartender away to canoodle. 

"Yeah, I did. My bosses were interested in using Grillby's as a venue for the next company-hosted party. I had to give Grillby some information about it." This appeased Toriel and she returned to her (those were definitely snails) pie. It looked like there was more she wanted to say to you, but either Frisk or her food were stopping her. 

Sans had actually cleaned up the bottle of ketchup he broke (it was almost empty, and you supposed he didn't want anyone's feet or paws to get hurt). He was now staring Grillby down like he was trying to ask for a new one through telepathy. 

Grillby came over a few moments later with food and a drink for you. You hadn't told him what to get you but his choice was pretty damn good. You weren't sure if the drink was alcoholic but it looked pretty good so you didn't care. And the salad he had made you didn't look like it came off the menu. Your new boyfriend was too good. He set down a new bottle of ketchup and checked on Toriel and Frisk. After a moment you heard, "Yes. _____ is my girlfriend. I'm pretty lucky, right?" Frisk and Toriel both giggled. 

You took a sip of your drink and realized it was a Sex on the Beach. Ok, maybe your boyfriend wasn't entirely good and innocent after all. You felt yourself blush. Of all of the things he could have made you after saying he was getting into human drinks... Then you realized that the aftertaste was from the burning cinnamon whiskey you had come to know during parties during your first year of college. You remembered having this drink at your 21st birthday party. This was called a Sex on Fire. Grillby was a rogue of the highest caliber. You blushed into your salad, listening to Sans and Toriel trade fire puns. The next time you met Grillby's eyes, he gave you a smirk. He knew exactly what he was doing. 

"Oh, they are just so cute! I'm sorry to have doubted your intent with Grillby, my dear child. It's clear that you two get along quite well!" Toriel seemed to be the queen of not only the monsters, but also of reading expressions incorrectly. But, she wasn't wrong. 

Frisk had in fact read the situation properly and signed to you behind Toriel's back _Did he do something wrong?_ You signed back _Made a bad joke_ exactly where you knew Grillby could see it. 

When the conversation had moved on to some of Frisk's school activities, you felt your phone vibrate. [New Message: Grillby  <3: ;) ] You tried to discreetly text him back under the table. "Studying your human cocktails? Cognac. Triple sec. Rum. Lemon juice. I expect my orange peel flamed. ;)" 

You found out that Toriel taught at the school Frisk attended and had a very strong passion for education. It made you smile that she didn't have to spend all of her time being a queen. In fact, when she wasn't busy pondering your relationship, Toriel liked you quite a bit. 

"... In fact, I think you, Papyrus, and _____ should all come to dinner Sunday night at our house, Sans. It's really no trouble, and I wouldn't want any of you to have to worry about cooking after all of that hard work. We wouldn't want you working yourselves to the _bone_ after all!" You all gave Toriel a pity laugh, Sans' being the closest to sincere. Across the bar, you noticed Grillby give off a small shower of sparks and stare at you. It was your turn for the smug smile. 

Soon, Toriel and Frisk said their goodbyes and Sans made some excuse about going back to work. The bar was emptying, but you still sat, making eyes at Grillby whenever possible. You had finished your (frankly, delicious) salad a while ago and your Sex on Fire shortly after. 

You hadn't realized how lost in thought you were until you felt warmth behind you and a drink neatly placed in front of you. A very, very _smoky_ voice murmured in your ear, "Between the Sheets, dear." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I-Is it getting hot in here or is it just me?  
> Damn. Hot damn.  
> Also I listened to [ this](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=de4Lt3kXlhw) while writing the last bit. I don't think it's the best chapter I've written but it's pretty toasty. I'm a sucker for subtle flirtation and also omg the ReaderxGrillby is official now.  
> Also also, I got a tumblr at long last. You can find that [ here. ](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/sparklecinnamonbunny) It's like 90% Grillbae. I really love art of him but I'm not really into Sansby or Grillster so a lot of it doesn't appeal as far as this fic goes. But yo, if you see or make or anything with Grillby find a way for me to see it because I think he's my favorite. He and Sans are pretty close though.   
> I have no idea what will happen next chapter or if I'll need to bump the rating. I just might.


	10. Jerry'd

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took so long. I blame Jerry. Also some life craziness.

Your orange peel was indeed flaming. And so was the bartender that had whispered seductively in your ear. You hazarded a glance around and noticed that it was just the two of you. 

"I closed up when it emptied. _You_ are a good cause." His voice tickled your ear, his lips finding the shell of it. His arms reached around you from behind, one hand caressing the outside of your thigh. 

Making sure not to jostle him, you got off of the stool and turned to Grillby. You could see lust burning brilliantly in his eyes, and knew you felt the same. You wanted to be even closer. You tugged Grillby closer by his belt loops and he obliged. Your bodies pressed tightly together and your lips met in a heated kiss. Grillby groaned softly into your mouth when your tongues met. You could feel a certain part of his anatomy pressed firmly against your stomach, and you rubbed against it before slowly, almost painfully, prying yourself away. Grillby frowned at the loss of contact. You smirked. 

"That's what you get for teasing me," you whispered softly. You had stood on your tiptoes to whisper in his ear, and you had to stop yourself from kissing him again. 

"Are you sure you want to play that game, dear heart?" His voice was husky and dark. Suddenly, you were very unsure. But, you held your ground, curiousity as to what he would do outweighing your nervousness. 

Grillby took you back into his arms, kissing you in a way that you'd never felt before. The passion and feeling overwhelmed all thought and you didn't want him to ever stop. When you were about to swoon, Grillby pulled away, leaving you a little unsteady. 

"Guess I'd better reopen the bar." He started to walk away and you grabbed his wrist with a resigned sigh. 

"Ok. You win. Please don't." You pouted cutely and Grillby chuckled, gently removing your hand. "Nope. You chose this." He walked a little farther away. 

You could see that his kiss had effected him just the same as you. He didn't want to be a tease. He just wanted you to work for it. 

You tried to be coy. "I'll do _anything_ to make you change your mind." Grillby blushed, a few sparks falling harmlessly on you, and you saw him shift his weight a little. You walked over to him slowly, exaggerating your hips. Grillby pushed up his glasses, nervous. 

"Should I get on my knees and beg?" You started to move to do just that and Grillby gave a quiet (and unreasonably sexy growl). He stopped you with a hand on your shoulder and stared down at you pleadingly. 

"Ok. It's taking most of my self-control not to carry you upstairs and toss you into my bed. Can we call a truce?" 

"Mm, kiss me and I'll consider a ceasefire." Grillby pulled you into a crushingly tight embrace and kisses you with a desperate passion. You wound your arms around his neck and felt his desperation pressing into your stomach even harder than it had been before. His delightfully warm hands grazed over your sides, your back. 

"Maybe you _should_ carry me to your bed." Your voice came out in a rough, carnal whisper. Grillby's hands tightened around your waist and he lifted you. You wrapped your legs around him and he supported you from the bottom. You took the opportunity to kiss and nibble his neck. 

But all good things must come to an end. Just before you two reached the door to the stairs, you could hear loud knocks and an obnoxious shout from the front doors. 

Some strange monster was pounding on Grillby's doors and calling out loudly. "Grillby? GRILLBY? Are you like, open? I'm huuunngrrryy..." Grillby's shoulders slumped and he let you down. He looked like he wanted to cry out of frustration. 

"Fucking Jerry. That eternal thorn in my side. That cockblock. I swear he only fucking shows up when I've closed the bar. _____, I don't want to expose you to Jerry, so, um, here," he tossed you a keyring, "You can go upstairs and get comfy. I'll try and get rid of him as quick as I can..." 

"Awh, I don't want you to suffer alone. I'll meet Jerry. Don't worry about me." You kissed Grillby on the cheek and resumed your seat at the bar. Grillby sighed and shook his head, unlocking the doors and letting Jerry in. 

"Ugh, if you say you're going to be open at certain times why would you lock the doors? I didn't have any phone service. Don't you care? Griilllbbyy..." You understood exactly why Grillby had been so upset. This monster's very voice made you want to ditch him, but it was too late. Instead you drank your previously abandoned cocktail and gave Grillby a look of sympathy. 

Jerry sat right next to you, giving you a once-over. "Humans are so cool. You look like a cartoon character! A lame one, but still..." His voice grated on you. Who trailed off all of their sentences like that? 

You grit your teeth before forcing yourself to give him a friendly grin and a response. You turned up the charm as a way of coping with just how annoying Jerry was. "Really? Thank you! I've always thought that monsters were so interesting! So what's your name, cutie?" 

Beads of sweat formed on Jerry's strangely long forehead. He clearly wasn't used to actually having conversations with people. "I-I'm... Jerry..." 

"Oh, it's so nice to meet you, Jerry! Do you come here often?" You focused your full attention on him, relishing in his discomfort. Jerry swallowed, and swallowed again. His discomfort became fear. 

"Oh, you know what... actually... nevermind Grillby, I'm not hungry... I'm going to get a ride home... Bye..." Jerry spoke quickly and hustled out of the building. 

Grillby looked at you as though you were a god. "What did you do? Please tell me. That was amazing, dear. You... you made Jerry leave." 

"I turned on the charm and it scared him. Didn't think it would work as well as it did." You gave Grillby a sunny smile. 

He came back around the bar and hugged you tight. "You are a queen, _____. You're the only one that's ever made Jerry leave. Usually we just ditch him." 

"Well, I'm good with people. I mean, kind of. I wasn't immune to Jerry though, that was awful. I couldn't blame monster racists if Jerry was the only one they ever met." Grillby couldn't help but laugh a little at that. 

"Still. My girlfriend... The one to defeat Jerry. Wow..." You could feel the hero worship coming from Grillby in waves. 

"So, do you want to get back to what we were doing?" You traced the front of Grillby's shirt. 

"I can't. I've been inspired. I'm going to make a new drink." The passion burning in Grillby's eyes was enough to tell you that you weren't going to distract him. 

"Hold on, I just need to look at... something." He held you in front of him and gave you a deeply analyzing stare. It confused you but you'd seen enough inspired artists to know better than to ask. After a moment, Grillby smiled. "That makes perfect sense. Did you like the flaming drink I served you the other day?" 

"Yeah. It was cool. I was afraid at first but it was really cool." 

"And you like facing your problems head-on, right?" You worried he was just so wrapped up in your ability to scare Jerry that he wanted to make you a signature cocktail. 

"Yeah, I'd say that's right. You aren't making me a special drink or anything, are you? I'm not that great." 

"You are, so I am. I'm making some for each of the people I care about. New menu items. And your favorite color?" 

"I'm not sure off the top of my head. There's a lot of colors I like. What do you mean about everyone? Are you making Bloody Sansies instead of Bloody Maries?" 

"...yeah. With ketchup. He'll be the only one to drink it but I don't care." Grillby had pulled a number of different bottles down and was pondering them with a pensive expression. 

"Do you want me to give you space?" You started to gather your things. 

"Oh, sure, I guess. If you want. What's your favorite sweet?" 

"Chocolate is nice. I'll see you later? Or at least text you." 

"Ok. Goodbye dearest." Grillby swooped around the bar to kiss you goodbye before returning to his contemplation. It looked like he had a few things set aside and a smaller group to contemplate. 

You headed out and back to your apartment. You almost got lazy before you saw the gym lanyard hanging on your closet door. It was a day off, so you might as well take advantage You called "The Great Papyrus" and he answered almost immediately. 

"HELLO, THIS IS PAPYRUS." 

"Hey neighbor! This is _____. I had some time today and I was hoping to start that gym membership." 

"REALLY? I WOULD BE HAPPY TO HELP YOU. I CAN EVEN GET YOU A SESSION WITH MY FRIEND UNDYNE. SHE WAS THE CAPTAIN OF THE ROYAL GUARD! SURELY, SHE WILL TRAIN YOU AS YOU WISH TO BE TRAINED." 

"Sounds great. Well, I'll throw on some gym clothes and head on over." 

"EXCELLENT. I WILL SEE YOU SOON." 

You had written the address own when Papyrus first visited so you changed, put your hair in a bun, punched the place into your phone, and left. 

The drive was uneventful, and you arrived to an emptying parking lot. All the better for your spot. You carried the empty lanyard in your hands, having thrown your other necessities into a small backpack. You were nervous to meet Undyne, she sounded very tough. But you felt up to the challenge. 

Papyrus greeted you at the front desk. "HELLO, _____! I STARTED YOUR PAPERWORK BUT NEVER FINISHED. IF YOU COULD GIVE ME YOUR ID AND FILL IN THE REMAINING BLANKS WE WILL HAVE YOU WITH UNDYNE IN NO TIME." 

You traded and filled in the few things Papyrus hadn't done for you. Papyrus scanned over it, seeming to take note of your birthday, then signed it and handed you a glossy card and your ID. 

"OK, RIGHT THIS WAY! UNDYNE IS EXCITED TO MEET YOU!" 

You swallowed. Undyne couldn't be that bad, right? Papyrus led you to a tall, strong, fish-like woman who was equally beautiful and terrifying. Well, her face split in a huge, excited grin. 

"Whoa, you must be _____! Paps and Sans told me a lot about you. I knew you'd have to be pretty cool to date Grillby, but you look ready to rock! Let me just take another glance over you." Again, the analyzing stare. 

"HUMAN, I DID NOT KNOW YOU AND GRILLBY WERE DATING! SANS MUST NOT HAVE THOUGHT TO TELL ME." It hadn't been six hours since you'd become official. Gossip spread quickly around here. 

"Ah, we just decided to tell everyone today. Don't worry, Papyrus." This seemed to soothe him. He left you and Undyne with a wave and a "TRAIN HARD!" 

Finally, Undyne was done staring at you and spoke again. "I didn't expect to, but I like what I see! Do you want the human level of training, or the monster level of training?" 

"What's the difference?" 

"I go tougher on monsters!" 

"Let's do that, then. Harder training means better results, right?" 

"I knew I'd like you." 

Undyne made you jog some laps before anything else. Cardio was your weak point but you struggled through. Undyne kept you moving with a combination of teasing and encouragements. 

"Alright punk, that was a starting benchmark! See, my training will help you down to your soul. But before we can worry about your soul, we have to make sure you have a certain amount of physical endurance. Makes it easier." 

You were bent forward to catch your breath, hands on your knees. "Wha... what is all of this about... souls? I don't understand what you mean." 

"Do you not- but... you're dating Grillby. Did you all not talk about..." 

"Undyne, we've been close for like, two days. Is this a Monster thing?" You were doing some stretches. 

"Oh. Well... kind of, yeah. Everyone has a soul." She gestured to you to come sit on a bench with her. You joined her, your stretches forgotten. 

"Ok. So, everybody has a soul. Monsters, humans, you get it. Monsters souls are what make them able to do magic and for some monsters, even have a form. Humans have different, but stronger souls. Our souls are grey, but yours have color. I guess because you don't have magic, really, to speak of. But the color represents the strongest facet of your personality. Frisk's was red, for determination. It helped them, and us, out I guess..." 

"What color is mine?" You had more questions and some serious existential pondering to do but you stuck with the easiest question. 

"I knew you'd ask. Your soul is orange. Really bright. Represents bravery. It's not very common, from what I've seen. It surprised me when I looked earlier." 

So that's what those looks must have been. Undyne and before, Grillby, had been looking at your soul. "So what do you mean by training my soul?" 

"Well, when monsters fight, we do something called a confrontation. Souls become visible and you can choose to fight or act, and you can defend against the other's action. That's why Monster food tastes a certain way- it affects the soul." 

"So the training..." 

"My brilliant girlfriend, Alphys found some research while we were still underground and she finished it. Normally, your soul grows more powerful through well, acts of violence. Most Monsters and humans have a starting place for their soul and it stays there unless they... kill. But when Alphys finished up the research she found, she discovered that one could increase the soul's strength without increasing one's Level of Violence. Through, um, battles that don't end in death or injury. Only works on fully-grown creatures though. The souls have to be fully-formed. Otherwise Frisk would be the strongest human ever, instead of a giant nerd." Undyne laughed nervously. She must have realized it was a lot to process.

"So basically... we are going to be sparring to make our souls stronger and because it's also exercise? And you are going to pull my soul out of my body, where I guess it exists, and attack me to do so." You tried to stop yourself from panicking. 

"Yeah, pretty much... I offered you this whole thing because I saw you were brave and well Alphy has this pet theory that if they were trained, humans could initiate confrontations and fight kind of like monsters and well... you seemed up to it." 

"So you were willing to risk my health for your girlfriend's idea?" 

"Yeah... but her ideas are normally right. Have you met Mettaton, by any chance?" 

"Your girlfriend made him? Like, the sexy robot form he's got now? Oh. Ok. I get it now." 

Undyne gave a wide grin. "Yeah, my Alphy is brilliant. So uh, do you want to do it? I swear I didn't know you didn't know about soul stuff when I asked at first." 

"Yeah, let's do it. If we try and I don't like how it is, we can always stop." You shrugged. It sounded like it might be helpful to be able to fight that way. If you had to. Part of you worried that you would- you were dating one Monster and would soon be representing another. You weren't too afraid, and you wouldn't stop being honest about your views, but you were very aware that there were people who would attack you because of them. 

Undyne brought you out of reflection. "Ok, you want to start?" The excitement was back in her eye. 

"Sure. What do we-" You were cut off by a strange yanking feeling and you stumbled forward. You swore you could hear musical fanfare somewhere. In front of you floated a brilliantly orange cartoon heart. You tried to reach out and touch it but it was repelled by your fingers. _Same polarity_ you thought to yourself. You could see a grey, upside-down heart floating in front of Undyne's chest. 

"So now that you're done nerding out, can we do this?" She shifted her weight impatiently. 

"Yeah. What do we do?" You felt nervous with that heart- your Soul exposed in such a way. You glanced around the room, sighing in relief when you found it empty. 

"Well, all Monsters have different attacks, but mine- it turns you green. You'll have to face me head-on to defend yourself. I'll start you off easy." 

Undyne conjured a shimmering spear and waved it across your soul, turning it a bright green. Then the attacks started. She threw spears straight at your soul. She had said head-on, so you just stood your ground. A silver shield appeared the second the spear got close and the spear bounced off of it harmlessly, clattering to the ground. 

"Good! Now attack me!" Undyne beamed at you proudly. 

"Uh... ok." You stepped forward a little and nervously punched Undyne in the arm. You saw a red 1 fall out of her soul and disappear. 

"You'll have to try a bit harder than that!" Undyne's smile didn't fade as she launched spears at you again, only faster. You still managed to stand your ground and they bounced off of your shield. This time, convinced you couldn't really hurt Undyne, you waited for her ok and gave her an energetic kick in the side. A gleaming 10 fell from her soul. 

"Great job, that kind of hurt! I'm going to mix it up this time." 

She threw more spears, one from the front and two from the left. After the first one, you quickly pivoted to the left. The two spears pinged, falling off of your shield and you felt accomplished. You launched a punch at Undyne and another 10 fell out. 

You stopped after the attack, winded. It seemed like having your soul out was tiring. "Dude, _____. You're a natural! But you look pretty tired, so let's stop for now. After I do, just say I spare you, ok? I spare you, _____." 

"I spare you, Undyne." Your soul swooped back into your chest with the same discomfort. 

"Oh, and the more traditional way to say it is 'I elect to grant you mercy' but nobody really uses it anymore. Either works." Undyne came over and patted you on the back. "You did really, really well, _____. Especially for your first time." 

"Will it always be so tiring?" You felt like you had run a marathon. 

"Nah. You're just getting used to it. It won't be so bad next time. Even if your Soul didn't take damage, you'll probably be pretty tired. You're actually my last client for today so do you want to clean up and get some food? We can even go to Grillby's, if you want to see your boyfriend." 

"Well, if you insist. He started making me a signature drink earlier, so I'd like to see how that turned out." The feeling of Undyne's pride in you made you smile. 

"I thought you two had only been together a couple days?" Undyne managed to fix you with the same incriminating stare you'd gotten from Toriel. 

"Yeah, we have. He, uh... He got inspired after I scared Jerry off for him earlier." You were glad you'd brought a change of clothes so you could shower. 

"You scared _Jerry_ away? Whoa! No wonder you're a natural. You're pretty cool, punk!" Was there just a universal hatred of Jerry? 

"Thanks, I guess. I'll meet you back up here once I'm dressed, ok?" 

"Sure thing, Jerry-killer." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry for those of you that would have liked some smut. ;~;  
> I also realized that this fic did not have enough Papyrus in it yet. Or any Undyne at all.  
> Also also I feel like this isn't long enough to make up for how long it took me to update.


	11. Getting Dunked On Isn't Part of the Scientific Method, Right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I finally finished the chapter. This one was slow to write, but I have stuff already partially done past it. Sorry for the... nearly three weeks? Maybe more? Between updates.  
> Oh and [here's ](https://uk.thebar.com/recipe/baileys-chocolate-orange)  
> an inspiration for the Braveheart.

When you and Undyne returned to the lobby of the gym, Papyrus was waiting for you. He waved energetically and hustled over. 

"HOW DID IT GO? ARE YOU ROYAL GUARD MATERIAL NOW?" He seemed even more excited than he had been sending you in there. 

"Haha, something like that, Paps. I'm more tired than anything. We're headed out to Grillby's now, would you like to join us?" 

"WELL, I HAVEN'T BEEN TO SURFACE GRILLBY'S YET, BUT MY BROTHER ASSURED ME IT WAS MUCH NEATER THAN THE UNDERGROUND ONE. And I Would Like To See You With Grillby... ALRIGHT. I WILL JOIN YOU." Papyrus looked a bit nervous about his decision but Undyne threw a delighted arm around his shoulders. 

"Great! Um, do either of you need a ride? I'm not sure of the car situation." 

"Papyrus and I have our own cars, don't worry. In fact, Paps has a pretty sweet ride for a nerd." Undyne laughed and gave a broad smile. 

You saw what she meant when you got out to the parking lot. You don't know how you didn't notice the shiny red convertible before, but Papyrus stood next to it proudly. 

"THIS WAS SOMETHING I WANTED EVEN WHEN I WAS UNDERGROUND. SANS HELPED ME BUY IT AS SOON AS WE EMERGED. WE SPENT A LOT OF OUR SAVINGS ON IT, BUT WHENEVER I DRIVE WITH THE WIND BLOWING THROUGH MY HAIR I KNOW IT WAS WORTH THE EXPENSE." 

You smiled to yourself. Sans was such a kind brother to Papyrus. They were good for each other, you had no doubts. You got in your car, and your caravan proceeded to Grillby's. 

Despite Undyne's tendency to challenge speed limits and Papyrus' remarkably slow driving, you all made it to Grillby's fairly close together. Papyrus looked uncomfortable, but relaxed when he saw a neat, clean restaurant and his brother seated at the bar with a shorter yellow reptile monster. "SANS!" He rushed over. 

"Alphys! You nerds are done early today, huh? That must be Undyne's girlfriend, the scientist. Undyne hurried to her side, leaving you alone. You followed them and took an empty stool between Alphys and Sans. Alphys had scooted over to kiss Undyne and talk excitedly to her about... something. Papyrus was chattering to Sans about his day and Sans listened, rapt. It felt like you had joined a very good little group of friends. 

While they were paired off, you only had eyes for the bartender. Grillby hadn't noticed your presence yet and it gave you a chance to admire him. His sleeves were rolled to the elbow as he shook a drink for a couple of girls that looked just barely old enough to have it. They were giggling and trying to flirt with him, but he didn't really look interested. A feeling came over you that was somewhere between jealousy and what could only be described as Mettatonness in your head. You sauntered over to Grillby and the girls and leaned over the bar right next to the flirtier one. "Oh, bartender? Could you serve my friends and I next?" 

Grillby's cheeks flared blue and he nearly spilled the drinks he was pouring. He let off some sparks when he spoke. "Of course." The girls at the bar gaped as you slowly walked back, exaggerating your movements. Grillby served them and met you at your seat. 

"Hi handsome. Sorry about all of that, I got... jealous." Apparently, all of your new friends had noticed. Undyne and Alphys looked entertained, the latter murmuring something that sounded like "put it in our manga.." Papyrus looked surprised, despite lacking eyebrows. Sans was indifferent; after all, he'd seen you two a lot lately. 

Grillby smirked. "Maybe a little." He also passed a laminated menu across the bar. It looked like while you had been away he finished your drink and the new Specials menu. The top of it informed that it could be served with magical or human liquor by request. You saw it in an elegant cursive script before Undyne snatched the menu away to look at it with Alphys. 

_**Braveheart** : A twist on the chocolate orange that's almost as spicy and sweet as the beauty that inspired it. Served flaming. _ You had never been a huge fan of chocolate and orange, but you understood why he had chosen it, at least. It turned out all of you had one, with the exception of Papyrus. 

"Whoa! Nice, Grillby! Undyne the Undying: A shot that the Captain of the Royal Guard faces head-on. Made with Echo Flower-infused liquor. Best paired with the Royal Scientist! I'll have one of each of those!" Undyne's smile was huge and genuine. 

"I think I'll just have the Royal Scientist. It was made for me, after all. Soft, sweet, and ingenuitive... T-thanks Grillby." Alphys seemed a lot more shy than you thought someone who dated Undyne would be. She hadn't spoken to you yet in the whole time you'd been sitting next to her. She was about your height, a yellow reptilian monster with glasses and a careful smile. You don't know what you had imagined Undyne's girlfriend to look like before, but now that you'd seen them you couldn't imagine her with anyone else. Undyne stared at Alphys like she was the oasis in a mighty desert. It made you smile to watch them interact. 

"heh, bloody sans. go heavy on the ketchup, grillbz. paps, do you know what you want?" Sans seemed entirely content. His lazy smile was in place. You knew that he was happiest when his brother was around and it made you glad to see him smile. 

"Well, I Do Not Want To Drink Too Much... BUT I'D LIKE TO TRY THE DEATH BY GLAMOUR! METTATON APPROVES OF IT, SO I WILL TOO!" Grillby nodded and turned to grab what he needed to make drinks, looking incredibly happy with himself. You supposed that seeing everyone's excitement about the new menu warmed his heart. After some very impressive showmanship, he returned with a variety of drinks for everyone. Undyne's was a brilliantly teal shot, Alphys' a yellow one that resembled a daiquiri, Sans' with a thick french fry in it instead of the traditional celery. You had seen the Death by Glamour before it was named as such but it still impressed you how much it glittered. 

And your drink made you blush and smile intensely. It was almost too cool-looking to drink. It was the color of chocolate milk, almost, but blended to orange at the top and burned with a clearly magical orange flame. The glass was rimmed with chocolate syrup and you could see that he had somehow drawn a heart inside the glass with more chocolate. You gaped at Grillby and he coolly smiled back. "Babe...Grillby. This is so fucking cool. Oh my God. I have a drink made for me and it looks like this. I don't know if I want to drink it and make it stop looking so beautiful." 

"If I wasn't so happy with what you'd made for Alphy and I, I'd be jealous! You've outdone yourself, Grillby." Undyne's grin was firmly in place, even though her (and all of your friends) were staring at you two and your drink. 

Grillby continued to look at you until you tentatively started drinking it. It was... Perfect. The citrus flavor was present but not overpowering, and the chocolate was sweet and perfect. It made you feel good and tingly and just so much like yourself. It made your heart- your Soul- feel so much joy. You could feel the bravery resonating within you. Monster drinks were so cool. You leaned across the bar and kissed Grillby on the lips. It was a bit daring to do so in the middle of the bar surrounded by people but with your bravery came a great portion of carelessness. Grillby didn't seem to mind either; he met you halfway and kissed you quite happily. You could hear Undyne give a cheer along with Alphys and Papyrus, and heard some gasps around the bar. You just liked kissing Grillby. 

When you two pulled apart, you were both beaming and blushing. Sparks fluttered off of Grillby and your heart raced. "With a reaction like that.. can I try your drink too, ____? We can trade for a minute." You had just met Alphys but you didn't find yourself concerned about swapping drinks with her. Her frozen daiquiri was full of so many complex flavors and was sweet and fruity. You would want these next summer. 

Alphys seemed to like your drink too. She drank it and smiled almost as widely as you had. You supposed she wasn't that courageous normally, so it must feel good. "Undyne... I love you, but anime really isn't real. I know I encouraged you to believe even after I told you the first time but... it's just not." 

Undyne started cackling. "Oh man, you think I really believe in that stuff? Babe, I was just pretending to make you smile! Frisk broke the news to me while we were still underground, and you know that they never lie." Alphys looked shocked for a moment and then started laughing, and soon all of you were giggling. You were so glad to have made some new friends. 

"So _____, Undyne sparred with you today? You weren't hurt, were you? Do you think it affected your soul? Do you feel... any stronger? Undyne did you look? Can I look?" You had just bitten into a burger. You nodded awkwardly and set your burger down, swallowing hastily. Alphys looked so excited that you could hardly refuse. 

"wait... did you try your pet theory on _____ without any thought of the consequences? did she even understand what was going on? undyne, someone could have gotten hurt." Sans was actually losing his cool a little bit. You assumed it was because Papyrus worked there too. Undyne had said something about human souls being stronger than monsters, but Sans didn't seriously think you could hurt anybody, did he? You didn't say anything, just waiting to see how all of this played out.

"Of course she knew! I told her all about souls. Well, actually I thought Grillby had, but that turned out not to be true, so I told her a bunch of stuff! And she was still ok with it. I didn't even land a single hit on her, anyways," Undyne said defensively. 

Alphys found her words, an anxious expression on her face, "I-I didn't ask Undyne to do this... but now that she and _____ have, it will be a good point of research. Grillby, do you have a private space?" Sans sighed and shook his head. His disapproval made you uneasy in a way you couldn't pinpoint. 

That was how you found yourself in Grillby's stairwell for the second time that day. Undyne and Sans had joined Alphys, the former carrying a stool for you to sit on. You supposed that even if he disagreed with it, Sans wouldn't skip the chance to check out an experiment. You sat on the stool, just as nervous as Alphys looked in front of you. 

"Right... s-so I think the first thing we should do is um, pull out your soul. Maybe you should try and see if you can draw on it? If you can't, it's ok. We can help you." You couldn't blame Alphys for her nerves with the intense stare Sans was giving her. 

"How would I do that? Should I challenge someone to a confrontation? Or can I just like, think about it?" Undyne hadn't explained this part. 

"Try challenging Sans. You two aren't going to fight and even if something happens, he won't hurt you." Alphys had a glint in her eye that wasn't completely innocent. It frightened you more than you would have liked to admit. But you trusted Sans, and you were pretty certain that he wouldn't try anything. 

"Alright, I'll try that." You stood with uncertainty, trying to hide your nerves as you said, "Sans... I confront you." You felt the pull from your chest and were proud for a moment before the feeling was replaced with terror. Sans' eyes had faded to black and while he was still smiling, there was something about it you didn't like. 

But your soul was out, and Alphys ran forward to check it out. "Hmm... your LV is still at 1, which is good. 0 EXP. But... your HP...Fif- 52?!? Where was it earlier? This is... more than Frisk, certainly." 

"I'm not sure. I think it was 48 earlier, Undyne might know better. Sans, what kind of attacks do you have? Are they anything like Undyne's?" You felt weird with Alphys staring at you like that, not to mention Sans' face. You shifted your weight awkwardly. 

"i'd rather not show you. paps has some pretty similar stuff, so maybe you could spar with him sometime." Sans looked as uncomfortable as you were. You stared at his soul, hoping to get information like the others were. But you couldn't. 

"Oh come on Sans, just turn her blue and show her an easy one. I doubt Grillby will mind. Papyrus always says how strong you are." Undyne seemed to be just as interested as you. Had she not seen Sans attack either? Sans sighed and waved a hand over your soul. "fine." 

You felt so heavy. You didn't want to move. You didn't know if you could. Different than Undyne for sure. Your soul was a deep blue, and just as weighed down as you felt. 

"ready?" You weren't completely sure but you managed to nod. 

"ok. you're gonna want to jump." Sans brought his hands up like he was the conductor of an orchestra but far more quickly. You jumped but nothing could have prepared you for the sea of bones that erupted beneath your feet, reaching to hit you. One managed to find your ankle and it felt as though it had sheared off a layer of your flesh. A flurry of burning 1s fell from your soul. You felt dizzy. You thumped to the ground roughly and clutched your ankle with a pained shout. 

"oh. oh no. i'm sorry, ____. i didn't mean to... this is why i don't... oh no." Sans turned you back to your normal shade of orange and rushed out, returning with Papyrus, and Grillby hurrying behind. 

"DON'T WORRY, _____. THE GREAT PAPYRUS KNOWS SOME HEALING MAGIC THAT WILL FIX YOU RIGHT UP." He positioned himself over your ankle and took a deep breath. Soft green magic flowed from his hand and around your ankle but didn't seem to do much. 

"Sorry, It's The... Maybe If Sans Hadn't..." Papyrus looked really upset that he couldn't heal you properly. Grillby took the opportunity to move forward and you noticed the concern in his face. 

"Let me do it." More green healing magic, but it felt a bit stronger, more assured. You watched your HP increase slowly back to normal. Sans and Papyrus were speaking hurriedly in a corner. You didn't know Papyrus could be that quiet. Sans looked incredibly guilty and Papyrus appeared to be reading him the Riot Act for hurting you. 

But Sans didn't look quite as guilty as Undyne did. When she saw you were almost completely healed she walked up and said softly, "I'm really sorry, _____. I shouldn't have goaded Sans into actually attacking you. You were pretty tired and a little drunk and even Paps would have been too much for you. Hell, even a Moldsmal. I didn't mean to get you hurt." When Grillby had finished healing you, Undyne offered you a hand and helped you up. What had previously had been a nasty, deep slice was now a tiny red line that was nearly invisible. You still felt a little wobbly standing up, and Grillby rested a hand on the small of your back. 

"I hope that you got your information, Alphys, because I want this thing back in my chest. Sans, I spare you." You were so tired, but glad there was still half a burger waiting for you on the bar. 

"i spare you, _____. sorry." Grillby helped you walk unsteadily back to your seat, and you stuffed food in your face without giving a single care about what anyone thought. Before too long, everyone got over your accident and things seemed normal. 

"I'm sorry _____, but Sans dunked on you! He didn't even try that hard. We've got a lot of training to do." Undyne grinned at you even as Alphys' expression shifted to shock. 

"Hah, ok. I'm feeling fine now, really. A little tender, but I can drive home. I should be going, actually. Got some stuff to do before bed." Like contemplate your existence. And magic that hurts and heals. And your soul. You said your goodbyes, trading phone numbers with Alphys and Undyne, and left. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope it wasn't as slow to read as it was for me to write, and if it was I apologize. Also, smut coming soon™


	12. Boyfriends Make Good Heaters and Good Lighters

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kind of short, but it felt like an adequate place to stop. My tumblr is [here](http://tumblr.com/blog/sparklecinnamonbunny).

Coming home brought along feelings of satisfaction and unsettlement. It was a full day in every sense of the word but you had discovered things you never knew or could even conceive. You had never given much though to your soul, confining existential thought to the infrequent church visits of your childhood. But today you had seen your soul leave your body, had used it to fight. And just about any monster could see it if they looked carefully. It was frightening to think that so many people had potentially stared into your soul when you hadn't even known it existed. And what did it mean in the grand scheme of things? Were you full of bravery since birth? How did anyone know? Was there something out there, some deity that decided this? And on the smaller scale, what had Undyne meant about Grillby telling you? You knew that sleep would be hard to come by tonight. You decided to text Grillby, as you knew he'd be up. 

"Are you closing up soon? Can't sleep. :(" 

[New Message: Grillby <3 : just did. your leg ok? what's keeping you up?] 

"Soul stuff. My existence was not something I was prepared to face on a typical Wednesday." 

[Grillby <3 : It's not a thing humans normally think about, i suppose. do you want me to come over? how's the leg?] 

"It's fine. And yes please. Undyne said some stuff I didn't get and if you wouldn't mind explaining..." 

[Grillby <3 : I don't mind. be there in 10. can you meet me downstairs? i know where your building is but not where you are. ] 

"Yeah ofc. See you soon :) " Well, your slippers could handle an outing, and your pajamas didn't look too shabby. You nervously made cups of tea for the second night in a row, wishing that you were still drunk. Then you could go to sleep without considering every major fact about your existence and their minutiae. You peeked at yourself in the mirror then headed downstairs to meet Grillby. 

After a few minutes you came to two realizations: First, that it was pretty chilly at night this time of year, and second, that you had no idea what Grillby drove, if he even drove. So you shivered and waited, looking for some sort of soft flames in the distance, or any sign of your boyfriend. It all made sense when you saw him. 

You made a mental note to never let Grillby, or Sans for that matter, see Ghost Rider. Of course Grillby rode a motorcycle. And of course he looked damn good doing it. You never knew how much the bad boy stereotype attracted you until you saw Grillby in a leather jacket. He saw you under a streetlight and pulled up, parking (a bit illegally) next to your car. His hug felt good even if the leather of his jacket was a little cold on the outside. He followed you inside and into the elevator, where you gave in to your shivers. 

You inched towards Grillby a little bit and he grabbed you and pulled you close. The jacket was still a bit cool to the touch but you could feel his warmth through it. Grillby bent down and kissed you quite thoroughly. 

"I didn't get a chance to kiss you before you left earlier." He made up for lost time. Eventually, you were letting him into your apartment and returning to the couch with him in tow. 

"You're still cold. Come closer, it's fine." Grillby had removed his leather jacket and sat next to you in a simple white t-shirt and his work pants. You found yourself too distracted by your admiration of Grillby's arms for his words to instantly register, but soon they did and you inched towards him again. You hadn't noticed before but when compared to the heat of Grillby's flames, your apartment was very cold. 

"Where should I... is it ok if...um." Your face was lit with a brilliant blush. Wasn't it kind of racist to use your flame elemental boyfriend as a heater? Was this awkward for him?" 

"You're shivering, _____. You can sit in my lap if you'd like, but if that's not your preference, you could get closer. I won't bite, I promise. I don't want you to get sick." 

You climbed into his lap in an ungainly way and Grillby hugged you close, taking the opportunity to kiss you on the forehead. You realized that he wasn't wearing his glasses, and when he stared into your eyes, you were able to see how his glowed with golden magic. Or maybe just more fire. "So, soul stuff?" His hands rubbed a soothing circle on your back. 

"Yeah... it's just weird for me to think about. Humans... we don't know about our souls physically existing. Our religious... we talk about the soul in metaphor, not as though it's something that can be easily pulled from our chests." 

"But your Souls are beautiful, powerful, and always there... you really don't notice it?" 

"I do now that I've learned about it existing, but not before. Never before. I don't know how to feel about it." You were almost too comfortable in Grillby's lap, the warmth and his soothing touches carrying you to a state of relaxation. "But Undyne said she was surprised you hadn't told me about this stuff yet. Less so when I said we hadn't been together that long..."

"Oh. I see. I forgot, if I'm being honest. I should have at least told you the basics, but I've never been with a human before. I hope I can give you a good explanation." He seemed nervous. 

"Oh no. That face... this is a sex thing, isn't it? You're about to give me the monster version of _the talk_." Things were about to get embarrassing for you, you knew. 

"Yes. Kind of. Ok so, monsters are made of magic. We can be just as physical as humans, but it's different for each and every monster. But when monsters decide to become mates, there's a bit of a process to it. They touch each other's souls with just their hands, which is pretty intimate... and pleasurable, for both parties. Then, they touch their souls together, which forms a bond. In our weddings, couples touch souls together witnessed by their friends and with a boss monster's magic involved to facilitate. Bonds are hard to break, and when you've gotten to that stage, well, you know everything about your partner. It's pretty intense, from what I've heard." Grillby traced your thigh with one hand, the other stilled on your back. 

"Have you ever bonded with someone? Like, touched souls?" You weren't quite as nervous as Grillby, presumably because you didn't quite understand it. 

"No, I haven't. I've touched, and been touched, but... things have never gotten that far." 

"I haven't had too many long-term or serious relationships either. So, um... how does sex work? For you? Er, us?" Well, now you were nervous. Grillby laughed and you could feel it against your side. 

"I have... mostly the same form as a human. I'm sure that we can make it work physically, dearheart." His fingers stopped on your thigh and just held it gently instead. 

You were blushing harder than you knew you could. "That was kind of a dumb question, ha, I was just a little worried." 

Grillby kissed your cheek. "Don't worry, I can ravish you just as completely as you've been imagining." You turned to stare him in the eyes, alarmed. You hadn't been imagining it. Much. Grillby gave the chuckle you loved and pressed his lips to yours. 

"You're such a flirt. I can't handle you." 

"Oh, I think you'll handle me just fine." You both laughed and kissed, the tension of the previous minutes dispelled. Then Grillby found a spot where you were ticklish and it became a battle. He had you pinned under him when the first thunderclap sounded. It was followed by the sound of rain hitting the roof. It was a sound you had always liked, but Grillby was suddenly concerned. 

"I didn't bring a poncho or anything. I don't... I can't... the rain." He got off of you and started to pace your living room. 

"Oh, the rain _is_ a problem for you. And if it weren't the obvious one, I wouldn't want you to drive in this weather. It sounds pretty rough. Is there anything you need done at home? You can call Sans, he has a key, doesn't he? I don't mind at all if you spend the night here." You just wanted Grillby to look less panicked. 

"No, I made sure the bar was fine before I left. Are you sure you want me to stay? I don't want to impose on you or make you uncomfortable. I can get a way home if you don't actually want me here." 

"No, Grillby. I want you here." You hugged him from behind and you could feel him relax. His smile when you two moved back to the couch made you feel warm in a way that wasn't at all related to his flames. You laid your head on his shoulder, turning on the TV. "Wanna watch a movie? At least until the power goes out. Which it will, probably." 

"That doesn't alarm you? Does it happen often? Is that safe?" 

"It happens every big storm, pretty much. And sometimes just because it can. Faulty wiring. I invest in a lot of surge protectors." You absently browsed through Netflix. 

"I guess the size of this place makes up for it. It's a nice apartment." Grillby stopped looking around when you plopped the remote into his lap. 

"Actually, I'm going to light candles before we get blacked out. Feel free to pick something. Now where did I leave that lighter? I guess I could use the stove if I need to..." You walked into the kitchen and began rummaging through drawers. You were the only one who lived here, so there was no excuse for losing things. You kept a candle lighter somewhere... 

"Dear." You were alarmed by how disorganized you were. "Dearheart." Well, guess it was time for the stove. Of course it wouldn't ignite when you actually kind of needed it. "_____." Grillby lit your stove with the flick of a finger. 

"Oh. Magic. Right. You're literally made of fire. Right." Well, at least now Grillby knew you were an idiot. 

"Lead me to your candles." You cut the stove off and pulled out the candles and tealights you saved for outages. Grillby helped you light and place candles around the apartment, and you kept a couple unlit ones close in case you needed them. And just as you two finished and settled in to watch a movie, there was a particularly loud thunderclap and the power went out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I actually wrote this chapter down probably a couple weeks ago, and when I mentioned the motorcycle to my boyfriend, he made a Ghost Rider joke. The next day, I saw a post on tumblr about Sansby having Ghost Rider babies. Oops. I didn't realize at the time but made a tiny comment about it when I typed the chapter up today.
> 
> As always, thanks for reading and putting up with my sporadic uploads. Next chapter, things get... _hot_.


	13. Magic*

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You do the thing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YO THIS IS THE SMUT. Skip it if you're so inclined.  
> Oddly enough, I was going to title the chapter "Where There is Desire, There is Gonna Be a Flame" but Paige had a better smut chapter with the same title that came out a couple days ago. So this is a Colbie Caillat song that's actually pretty fitting. It's a fairly short chapter.

"Guess we weren't a moment too soon with those candles. Thanks for helping me out, babe." You kissed Grillby firmly on the mouth. He glowed faintly in the dim living room, and you couldn't miss the pleased expression he wore. He returned your affections and soon the two of you were quite occupied. You were perplexed as to how you had be worried about sex when you could feel his erection pressing against you and not for the first time. You didn't know how it worked, but you weren't about to ask. You chalked it up to magic. You were both about half undressed and breathing heavily when Grillby's phone rang, a familiar yet unfamiliar pop song. He pulled the phone from a pants pocket and sighed. 

"It's Sans, I should answer it before he comes over here looking for me. I appreciate his care, but," Grillby sighed again and answered his phone, "Hey. Yeah, I'm fine. Not a drop hit me. I'm with _____. At her place. She's letting me stay the night, so it's all good. Thanks for the concern, Sans. No, you don't need to bring me anything tonight. We're... believe me, we're good." You had started running your hands over his back when he answered the phone, and you had just made it to his front. When your fingers started trailing down his chest and stomach, Grillby released a long breath and tensely asked, "Can I call you back tomorrow? Yeah. Thanks, Sans. Tell Papyrus thank you for that... interesting review of my bar. Y-yes. Bye." 

He hung up and looked at you like you were evil incarnate. You smirked with delight. "That call was necessary, dearheart. You aren't very good at waiting, but I can't blame you when we've already had to stop here once today..." His hands slipped under you and started to pull down your pajamas. 

"Wait." Grillby froze at your word. "I don't want to do this on the couch." You held Grillby's hand and led him into your bedroom. It was dark, but two candles and the glow of Grillby's body gave the room a sultry low light. Your lips met in uncountable kisses, each one feeling like waves building, breaking on the shoreline of some unknown beach. You gently pushed him onto your bed and straddled his hips, kissing his lips, his jaw, his neck. His hands smoothed over your sides and found your bra strap. He looked to you for approval before reaching behind you and unhooking it with minimal difficulty. He was enraptured as you slid your bra off of your arms, revealing your breasts. His hands immediately cupped them, slowly caressing your nipples. It raised the slow spiral of your arousal despite feeling like molasses. Beautiful molasses that made your breath catch and your back arch ever so slightly. 

You released a throaty moan and rocked your hips over his, only a few layers separating you. You leaned in close, again kissing your way down to his neck but going further, to his collarbones, his chest, and yet further to his stomach. You unbuttoned his pants and Grillby slid them off with a smile, revealing a firm lump against black boxers. You locked eyes with him and he nodded, and you two slid his boxers off too. His penis fell free and leaned against his stomach. You studied it, a blush blooming on your face. It was remarkably beautiful, for a body part. Thick, neat. Like the heat of his body did normally, it too had different colors from the heat. It was closer to a yellow blue blend, and much warmer to the touch, you found as you hesitantly slid a hand over it and gave an experimental stroke. 

Grillby reacted instantly, groaning softly and becoming yet harder in your hand. "_____... dearheart let me touch you too. Please." You obliged, first laying on your side next to him, then rolling onto your back when it became clear he wanted to be on top. He covered your body in hot kisses, giving your breasts extra attention. He had noticed your sensitivity before and laved your nipples with his tongue, bringing them to stiff peaks. For someone who had never been with a human before, Grillby seemed to have an expert knowledge on how to please you. Even as he copied you, kissing his way down your stomach before finally getting you bare, he was gentle and tender, which aroused you almost as much as his lips and tongue exploring your hipbones. 

"May I...?" His fingers stroked your upper thigh, approaching your newly revealed core. "Yes. It's... been a while." He very carefully drew his fingers across you, teasing your lips before sliding one in agonizingly slowly and beginning to caress you. He moved closer to you and found time to kiss you inbetween smooth strokes of his finger. 

Even that small amount of penetration was enough to make you moan. When was the last time you had even masturbated? You weren't sure but you were lost in the sensation of what felt like a second finger joining and pumping inside of you in tandem. At some point you reached over and began stroking him too, and before you knew it, you two were definitely ready. 

"How should we do this? Do we need a condom? Oh shit, do I have any?" You saw your lust mirrored in Grillby's eyes but you wanted to make sure everything went ok. 

Grillby's chuckle had a husky tone that made you shiver with excitement. "No, we don't need one. Magic, right? And in terms of doing this..." 

"I want you on top, Grillby. If that's alright. I want to look into your eyes." You were a little abashed to say what you wanted so plainly but Grillby kissed you and obliged, moving between your thighs and aligning himself with your entrance. "Are... Are you ready?" His voice was rough with lust and yours was stuck in your throat. You nodded and he began to slowly push and stroke into you, moving deeper with each thrust. There was a little discomfort at first, but your body quickly adjusted and soon you were giving moans and keens of pleasure as he filled you in the best ways. You two couldn't stop kissing, murmuring each other's names and affirmations of pleasure between them. Your arms were wrapped tightly around him and your hips moved towards him with each thrust. It wasn't long before Grillby thrust in just the right spots and the waves of pleasure became a peak, an intense climax. You fell apart, moaning his name loudly and you felt Grillby tense and fill you with heat before relaxing against you. 

He looked so tired, but so content. He was still inside you but you were both entirely comfortable, for now. Your walls still sporadically tightened around him a little. 

"That was... Thank you, _____." Grillby's eyes were soft and happy. You felt a tightness in your chest and you almost felt like laughing or crying. It was weird how things like this felt so significant for you, where they might not for others. You two had known each other for less than a week but you felt like it had been months. 

"I feel like... this is how things are supposed to be. Right now, in this moment, this is where my life is meant to be. In this bed, with you, completely satisfied." 

Grillby kissed you on the cheek. "I feel the same way." He climbed off of you and after you two cleaned up, you were snuggled close in sleepy bliss. You slept well, Grillby keeping you warmer than any blanket could, as the steady rain lulled you to dreams. You still managed to wake a couple times, and the two of you took advantage of it. You learned that men made of magic didn't need the same downtime as human men. And Grillby must have been in love with your body, because every time felt like worship. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hoo boy this was interesting to write. I've never written a sex scene before. I hope that it read even a little bit sensual or sexual, rather than awkward.


	14. You Used to Call Me On My Cell Phone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lotsa phone calls and omelet, interrupted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short but at least I forced myself to work. I've been sick, had work and other activities going on, and today spent a lot of my time making sure my friends were ok after the Pulse incident. Stay safe, everyone.

You were roused by a chill. You rolled over, trying to find Grillby's warmth, and found the edge of the bed instead. You blinked sleep away slowly and realized you were alone. The realization came with a twinge of disappointment. But, the power was back on, because the lamp beside your bed cast unnecessary light over an empty end table. You turned it off and sat up slowly. That was when you noticed the white shirt hanging off the foot of your bed. And you heard the rain's reassuring thumps on your roof, and you realized that you weren't alone. 

You slipped on his t-shirt. It was long on you and hit on your thighs. You stretched long and lazy and wandered out onto your balcony. The overhang kept you dry, somehow, but you had to peer through dense sheets of rain just to see the parking lot entirely flooded. There was no way you'd let Grillby leave in weather like this. 

And despite the delicious soreness last night had left in its stead, you didn't want to ever let Grillby leave when you saw him in the kitchen. He was cooking breakfast with fire magic, shirtless, pants slung around his hips. He looked completely relaxed and completely sexy and you didn't want to interrupt him, even if your mind kept flitting back to your exploits on his countertop a few days prior. You didn't think you could handle another round so soon. You sighed contentedly at the heavenly aroma of what appeared to be an omelet. 

"Good morning," Grillby purred. He shut off the stove and gave you a devilish grin. "You look so sexy in my shirt, but I think you look even better without it." Was it possible that he wasn't a fire elemental, but an incubus who'd decided to fuck you out of your mind? 

"Mm, after three times last night? I think I'll take the omelet instead." You yawned and smiled at Grillby warmly. His devious look faded into a simple smile and he cut the massive omelet he'd made in half as you pulled out plates. But just as you were going to sit down and eat, you heard your phone ringing from the living room. 

"Shit. Probably work. Gotta take it," You apologized hastily as you hurried to answer. You were slightly out of breath when you said, "Hello this is _____ _____ with PN Talent." 

"Hello ______! It's Lennon. Lennon Friedman. Your landlord. Owner of the building? Well, anyway, um, just checking on you. The power has been working sporadically and lots are all flooded. Also, uh, the reason I'm calling is I'm worried because there's a big black motorcycle with no permit parked really close to your car. Just wanted to make sure you're ok, so I thought I'd call and tell you I'm sloshing my way up there." 

"Oh. Oh boy. Ok. Um, you _really_ don't have to do that. Really. That motorcycle belongs to my boyfriend. He stopped by last night before the rain started and I couldn't let him drive home in it. Everything is fine. Great, actually." 

"Oh, I don't know. I should really make sure your apartment is safe from the rain up there." 

"No, everything is ok. Really. Don't tire yourself out coming up here." 

"Well, I'm already headed to the stairs. So don't worry about this old man, just pour him some coffee, heh!" You heard a beep. 

"Ok Mr. Friedman. I've got a call on the other line, so I'll see you soon." You allowed yourself a momentary groan between calls. 

"Hello, this is _____ _____ with PN Talent." 

"hey _____. is grillby still around or did you put the fire out?" 

"Haha, he's still here. There's practically a lake forming outside, I couldn't send him away." 

"ok good. well, i'll be there soon, i grabbed some clothes for him." Oh, it was Sans. Way to not read your caller ID, _____. 

"Are you sure you want to head out here? It's really flooded." Why was everyone coming over? 

"don't worry kid, i know a shortcut." Beep. Of course. No time to debate. This one was actually work. 

"Um, ok Sans. Someone else is calling me, I'll have to let you go." Beep. You hung up with Sans and answered on the fourth ring. "Hello, this is _____ _____ with PN Talent." 

"Hello, _____. As you may have noticed, there is severe flooding and thunderstorms through the whole Valley. As such, we can't open the offices today and we've been advised to advise that nobody head in. Work from home, make sure your talents don't go out in this. Thanks." 

"Sure, thanks. Bye." You were supposed to meet with Mettaton today but surely he'd be happy to re-schedule. You hurried into your room, since pants were probably necessary. You changed as quickly as possible, even if you still looked a bit disheveled, but you weren't fast enough. You rushed back out to find shirtless Grillby answering the door to both Mr. Friedman and Sans. 

"Oh, hello! You're here! I'm sorry if you had to wait, I wasn't able to give a shout or get to the door in time, it seemed. Mr. Friedman, this is my boyfriend, Grillby." 

"Kiddo, I tell you every time, call me Lennon. And I've met uh, Times here, although I swear he appeared out of nowhere on the staircase!" He reached forward to give Grillby a vigorous handshake. Steam rose and Grillby gave an agonized hiss and pulled his hand away, eyes narrowed to burning slits. 

"Oh! Babe, are you ok?!" 

"uh, mr. friedman, sir, our friend grillby here has a bit of a water allergy if you couldn't tell. maybe save the handshakes for when you're dry." Allergy was an understatement. How had Mr. Friedman climbed all those flights of stairs and not dried off at all? 

"_____, dear. Do you mind if I borrow your stove again?" Grillby's mouth had pressed into a firm line and his hand was a strange dark red. 

"Yeah, of course. Whatever you need." You supposed it was the opposite of running cold water over a burn. You followed him into the kitchen anxiously. 

"Oh, that's not good. Do you think he'll forgive me uh... Tahoma?" 

"sans. we'll see, i think he'll do just about anything if it lights _____'s fire." Sans and Lennon followed behind a bit more slowly. 

In the kitchen, Grillby had lit the stove high and plunged his hand in it, strain evident on his face. 

"So, how does that work? Is it the same as a burn would be for me?" You knew he wasn't feeling well but you couldn't restrain your curiosity. 

"Kind of. Colder the water, the more painful. That was pretty cold hands from the rain. Didn't realize your landlord would try to extinguish me at first meeting." He pushed his glasses up and massaged the bridge of his nose with his free hand. 

"Didn't you live somewhere snowy, underground?" Your nervousness had manifested as a sea of questions. 

"Yeah, but it wasn't the same. It was made of magic, not water. Didn't hurt, just kind of tingled." Magic was your version of Maxwell's demon. The more you knew, the more you needed to know. 

"Is- Is there anything I can do to help you?" You wanted to hug him and apologize like crazy but the stove housed a tall flame for your tall flame. 

"Not really, dearheart. Maybe see your landlord?" The pain was still evident in his eyes but from what you could see, his hand had lost most of that alarming shade of maroon. 

"Ok. Yeah. Sorry, babe." You poured Lennon (and yourself) a cup of coffee, tucked the new bottle of ketchup you'd labeled "Sans" under your elbow, and walked carefully into your living room. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have 25 and a half pages written in my notebook, which translates to about 4 chapters, probably less. 4 or 5 if they're all this short. :x No excuse not to update this week.


	15. The Day of the Flood

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ~~In which Adam One proclaims~~ In which you finally eat that omelet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is technically part 1 of the day or something but chapter titles only come to me fleetingly, so I have to take advantage of them. Also, it's mostly dialogue, so I'm sorry if that bores you. ;~;

Your landlord and Sans were enraptured with a news broadcast on your couch when you emerged. You set down coffee and ketchup on a surprisingly clean coffee table (when had Grillby done this for you?) and plopped down between them. 

"Hello this is Madison Abella, reporting live from Ebott Valley, where a surprise storm has caused flooding and left many residents stranded." Cut to an aerial view of Main Street and other other residential areas, where the waters were deeper than you had seen out your window earlier. 

"As you can see, travel is nearly impossible and some areas need to be evacuated." The reporter was being assaulted by pouring rain, slicker flapping almost uselessly in the wind. 

"But despite all of this, there are a few brave monsters who are making evacuation possible for even the most helpless of citizens." The camera panned and you weren't surprised in the least to see Undyne and Papyrus pounding on doors with rain slickers and a small inflatable raft for those who needed it. What did surprise you was Mettaton, who was apparently waterproof, guiding people in rafts up the road. 

"These monsters have proven to us that care for the community's safety transcends race or even species." The reporter attempted to get Papyrus' attention, but the power cut out with a bold rumble of thunder and you never found out whether she was successful. 

"paps said something about helping the less fortunate and bolted out the door at dawn," Sans murmured, smiling, and sipped on his ketchup. 

"That brother of yours is an upstanding citizen." Lennon drank coffee and gave compliments like only an old man could. 

Grillby finally came out of the kitchen, pain not as evident on his face. His hand looked almost normal again, a slight dark patch the only indication of what had happened. "I heard the TV. Any news on when this will stop?" 

"No, didn't seem to be quitting any time soon, sorry. But you'll never guess who's helping with evacuation all over town." 

"Who?" He had brought his half omelette with him, cheese and spinach melted and oozy. Food would probably help him heal. 

"Undyne and Papyrus of course. And Mettaton, of all people." You couldn't say you weren't conscious of the good PR Mettaton would get from this, and you were proud of your soon-to-be client. 

"ugh. he's probably doing it to promote himself, or there's some glamour-obsessed agent that told him to." Sans always seemed grumpy when Mettaton was involved, but he had gone too far. 

"Um, Sans? What the hell?!" You were seated closely together and so you only had to turn your head to stare him straight in the eyeholes. 

"what? he's a diva, don't try and deny it." 

"That's my _job_ and _my client_ you're insulting." Your voice had reached a dangerous edge. 

"so? maybe the call you hung up on me for was that sorry calculator." Sans' eyes darkened and narrowed, distrustful. 

"No, I can't say it was." You struggled to keep your voice level, "And you really think that I'm so blinded by fame that I'd tell a client of mine to assist relief efforts for any other reason than it being the right thing to do?" Your hands tightened around your coffee cup. Lennon's eyes darted nervously between the two of you. Grillby kept a neutral, albeit worried silence. 

Sans took a deep breath and sighed before responding, with shame tinting his voice,"no. you're right. i don't think that. sorry, ____." Grillby and Lennon simultaneously released nervous breaths. 

"Sans, I know you didn't mean me at first, but when have I ever given you reason to doubt my morals?" Offense still prickled on your back, and stung your eyes. 

"...never. sorry. wouldn't be moving here without them. you're a good person." He trailed off and you could barely hear him mutter, "i just don't trust humans." 

"Besides, you know he's probably down there just to flirt with your brother," Grillby chuckled, the sound making your heart skip a beat as it always did. 

"Wait, what? Oh, that makes a lot of sense. Papyrus and Mettaton. Cute." Brotherly worry was why Sans hated Mettaton. And Papyrus' feelings were why he asked you about Mettaton, and why Mettaton hadn't said anything about Papyrus as a friend. You didn't know why you had missed it before now. 

"it's not cute. mettaton flirts with him and then throws him aside at the first sign of adversity. paps always takes him back. i'm tired of that box of bolts playing with him. he manipulates everyone." Sans was grumpier than usual, sure, but his voice was laced with hatred. His tone sent a chill up your spine. They must have had a lot of bad blood. 

"Well, you uh, seem to be ok here, so i'm just going to uh, make my way out. Sorry again there, Grillbert." Lennon set his empty coffee mug down and crept towards the doorway, clearly alarmed. 

"Oh sure, Mr. Friedman. Sorry about the inconvenience of coming up here." You walked him to the door and let him out, reminding him to be safe in the rain. And then it was just you, Sans, and Grillby. Sans was in the kitchen, eyeing your half-omelet, and Grillby was in the bedroom with the door shut. 

"did i interrupt your breakfast? don't skip it on my account, you need it to keep strong. especially after yesterday..." Sans trailed off for a second, then continued, "uh, sorry about that, by the way. didn't mean to scare you. i don't normally confront anyone unless it's an emergency. it's been a couple ti- er, a long time since i've had to." 

"It's ok Sans. Just didn't know your own strength, right?" You grabbed the omelet and a fork and started eating, eager to have a reason to avoid conversation. 

"yeah, something like that. been really on edge lately, so that probably didn't help." 

You swallowed, "Really? What's on your mind?" This was the best omelet you'd had in ages. You reminded yourself to thank Grillby later. 

"lotta things. some you don't need to worry about. but part of it's the move. don't want any trouble on sunday, you know? but with guys like the one in the office, it might be... less than good. i don't want paps to have to deal with that." Sans had switched to coffee, and clutched his mug tightly in his skeletal fingers. 

"I'll be there, and I'll make sure nobody gives you trouble. But, that being said, you might want to try and be quick. People are stupid, Sans." You finished your breakfast with a bit less enthusiasm than you started with. But, you knew you were a spoiled girlfriend, certainly. Grillby joined you in the kitchen, looking somehow even sexier in baggy sweatpants and a new t-shirt. 

"Hey handsome, thank you so much for breakfast!" You let out a nervous laugh and rubbed your belly appreciatively. Grillby gave your chuckle before turning to Sans. 

"Thanks for coming by with the clothes. I didn't expect you to make it so early after I texted you." Sans blushed blue. "was no problem, really. was up after paps left this morning. wouldn't want you to be uncomfortable, i guess." 

"Oh, wow, Sans. Is there anything we can do for you? Breakfast, more coffee? I don't know how ok I feel about you heading back out in the storm." You didn't really want anyone out in this weather. Lennon was probably planning on checking on everyone in the building, so he wouldn't be outside for a while yet. 

"i wouldn't want to be in the way of what you two have planned. don't worry about me, i know a shortcut." Was your Grillby-admiration that obvious? 

"Sans. I don't think your shortcut would be safe right now. You should stay. I'll make you some food." Grillby gave Sans a pointed look, and you knew you'd be better off leaving. Before you could enjoy rainy-day cuddles with Grillby, you needed to do your job. Today that involved calling each of your talents and making sure they weren't planning on heading out in the storm. 

"Hello this is _____ _____, your agent with PN Talent." 

"Hello, Genevieve. Don't go out today, that audition's been canceled." 

"Hey, Darren. Office is closed today but we could maybe do lunch on Monday? Tell me about your life. Yeah? Great. See you then." 

Eventually, you reached the name you had been saving for last. "Hello darling! Great timing, I've just taken a break over here to charge. Did you see me on the news?" 

"Hi Mettaton. I saw you for a second, but my power's been going on and off. How are things? How are Undyne and Papyrus?" 

"Oh, it breaks my heart to see all these elderly humans with only us to help them. Undyne has been helping all of these people with the raft for the last few hours and Papy and I have ben going to help people leave their houses. We've taken everyone to the middle school and Toriel and Frisk, and Dr. Alphys have been helping out there. I'm so glad to spend this time helping people." His speech sounded a little rehearsed. 

"Oh really? I'll be sure to put your name out to all of the charity efforts looking for a representative." You restrained yourself and didn't laugh at him. 

"Oh no! You don't have to do that, darling. Don't put yourself to any trouble." 

"It wouldn't be any trouble at all, unless you mean to tell me that you have an ulterior motive." 

"You're such a good read. Ok. I'm doing this because I want Papy to take me back. I thought spending all this time with him would remind him of how good we were together." 

"Ha, Grillby was right! He suggested that this morning. Er. Over text. Yeah. Anyway, as your friend, I would tell you to go for it. As your soon-to-be agent, I regret to inform you that the office is closed today and we can't meet. I would just have you come over here, but the papers are at the office. So, does Monday sound good?" 

"Sounds good darling, and you're not fooling anyone with that. I'm glad you two ignited the chemistry you have together, and hopefully all night long." Mettaton laughed. "Well, I've got to go now, my batteries are good enough for a few more hours. Toodeloo!~" Mettaton hung up before you could manage a goodbye. You retuned to the kitchen and found that in the 45 minutes of phone calls, Grillby and Sans had found a lot of food. 

"Isn't it a bit early for lunch?" Not that you were complaining. 

"i've missed breakfast _and_ brunch. do you have pickles?" Sans stood in your pantry, sizing everything up. 

"Uhh, fridge. Grillby?" He was cheerfully poised at the stove, skillet in hand. 

"Yes, dearheart?" You didn't know where to start. 

"Where did all this food come from and how is it all _dry_?" The grocery store wasn't too far away, but you doubted it was open, and you had no idea how one could get all of the food back without it being rained on. "And, why is it here?" 

"magic's hungry work, lady." Sans stopped his hand in the pickle jar to answer you. Grillby gave a shrug and a nod as though Sans had just answered all three of your previous questions at once. 

"So, I shouldn't leave you two alone in a kitchen is the answer." 

"bersicree," Sans responded with a mouth full of pickle and a wide grin. 

"Gimme a pickle." Well, you _definitely_ shouldn't look a gift skeleton in the mouth. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I swear I'll eventually start updating regularly. Maybe. I'm catching up to the stuff I already have written.


	16. Did Somebody Ask for Puns?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another one with a lot of conversation. :x

It turned out that Sans had told Papyrus to bring everybody by that could make it once evacuation was done for lunch. Neither he or Grillby had thought you'd have a problem. You cursed the estate sale that had prompted you to buy a large dining room table and chairs. You didn't mind the company but you knew that Mettaton and Sans would be less than civil, especially if Sans caught a whiff of his intentions for Papyrus. Which you were absolutely certain he would. 

But you weren't about to call Papyrus and rescind the offer. What happened, happened. Mettaton, Papyrus, and Sans were adults and you weren't going to insert yourself into their problems any time soon, especially when you didn't know the full story. So instead you were fetching and finding things for Sans and Grillby and doing your best to do preemptive cleanup. This was the most that your kitchen had done in years, possibly since you moved in. Sans had retired to a dining room chair but still watched Grillby lazily, making vague suggestions. 

Honestly, you were just glad that despite the power flashes, your refrigerator was staying fairly cold. And that you somehow had enough dishes for all of this. As soon as your table seemed to be groaning under the weight of a veritable buffet and all of the settings, the first knock sounded on your door. 

Frisk and Toriel stood in the hall, the latter fastening a large umbrella shut. Frisk waved eagerly and signed _Where can I put my boots?_ They wore adorable green galoshes patterned with yellow ducks. 

"Ohmygoodnesscute. You can put them here by the door, on the tile. I have plenty of towels if either of you need one. Oh, and a bag for your umbrella, Toriel!" You started to rush but Toriel stopped you with a paw on the shoulder. 

"We've got what we need. Don't worry, _____. Come child, let's see what your Uncle Sans has arranged." Toriel and Frisk strode in elegantly and you leaned against your front door when it shut and sighed. You were way too nervous. The Queen of Monsters, the ambassador, your new neighbors, your new client, the renowned scientist that made him, your new trainer, and your new boyfriend were all eating lunch and hanging out at your woefully unprepared apartment, but that wasn't a reason to have a panic attack. This was totally ok. You sauntered through your bedroom and into the master bath and stared at yourself in the mirror. Your face had blanched in fear and your eyes were wide with worry. Your lips were pressed firmly into a line. Ok. What could you do to fix this? You wiped your face with a cold washcloth and forced yourself to slow your breathing. Everything would be ok and the increasing pressure to scream was a natural reaction to having a surprise luncheon with people you barely knew forced on you to host. 

They were all nice people and you could handle this. The thought of impressing everyone and making today with success **filled you with bravery**. You understood social situations, you basically did it for a living. Removing the washcloth from your face, you gave your reflection an assured smile. You had changed for the second time and were confident that you looked put-together and happy. And you were put-together and happy, right? 

Of course. You returned to the living room just in time for another knock. Undyne and Alphys looked surprisingly dry and carried a small tote bag. 

"I thought that we could watch some anime after lunch if the weather is still rough. I can use my laptop or I have this portable generator prototype I can hook up if we need it. I mean, if you're cool with that." 

"That's so cool, Alphys! Thank you. You can set that stuff near the TV if you'd like." Your smile was genuine. Alphys didn't hate you after yesterday's awkward moment if she was offering her DVDs, right? 

"So how are you feeling after yesterday? Did you need Grillby to nurse you last night?" Undyne's broad grin looked particularly salacious. Clearly, Mettaton had said something. 

"Well I'm sore _all_ over..." You winked at Undyne and she gave a bawdy laugh and punched your arm. 

Not long after Undyne and Alphys, you heard Papyrus and Mettaton talking as they walked to your door. Papyrus was singing your praises and it made you blush. 

"SHE IS EXCEEDINGLY KIND, AND TRIES TO DO HER BEST FOR PEOPLE. OH, WE'RE AT THE DOOR. ALLOW ME!" Knock knock knock. 

"Hi Mettaton, Papyrus! I'm glad you could make it. With you, that's everyone! Come on in." 

"I apologize if we're late, _____. I had to get fully charged before we came, since my station is not waterproof. I wasn't sure how long we'd be here." They were only a little wet, so you weren't concerned about Grillby. You let them in and led them to the dining room and kitchen area, where everyone else was chatting and looking around. Frisk was signing to Sans about their day helping the evacuated people settle in, and Undyne had found your liquor cabinet. She kept asking Grillby about drinks. Toriel listened to Alphys telling a story. Mettaton and Papyrus fit right in, the robot slinking over to eye up drinks with Undyne, and Papyrus capturing Frisk in a tight hug. Warmth spread through your chest. How long had it been since a scene like this had been in your home? You preferred attending dinner parties to hosting them. And this was a lunch party, of all things. A luncheon of state? 

But soon, eyes panned to you, where you stood away from the others. You felt a little bit like an outsider, but you cleared your throat and managed to speak. 

"I'm glad everyone could make it. Um, this was really all Sans and Grillby's idea but I hope you enjoy it." People began to move towards the dining room table. 

_Mom, can I sit with _____?_ "I don't know Frisk, sweetie. Surely she will sit with Grillby? Maybe you should ask her." 

______, can I sit next to you?_ "Yeah if you want, Frisk. I'm flattered." 

You ended up between Frisk and Grillby when things settled. Grillby had outdone himself- the smorgasbord on your table hearkened you back to big family gatherings on holidays. You reached over and squeezed his hand under the table. He squeezed back. 

For most of the meal, unless there was a wider discussion going on, you were watching Frisk sign to you about a variety of topics. They kept flirting with you, and every time you just laughed. Eventually you looked to Toriel when Frisk let his hands take a break and ate. 

"Are they always this much of a flirt?" You couldn't imagine they were a very professional ambassador. 

"Oh yes. They flirted with me even after they called me Mom for the first time," Toriel giggled, "I think flirting is just Frisk's specialty." 

"Well, we can't have them stealing _____ away from me. Eat some cake, Frisk. Should be sweet enough for you." 

_The cake isn't the sweetest thing I see._ Frisk waggled their eyebrows at you and you choked on your water laughing. 

"whoa kid. i'm supposed to be the comedian here. there ain't room for the two of us. only one way this can be settled." 

_Really? How?_

"joke fight. _____'s the impartial judge. one who makes her laugh the most wins. you in?"

_Yeah, I'll beat you, Sans!_

"hey _____. a human, a skeleton, and a robot-" he gave Mettaton a look,"walk into a bar. the monsters order specials, but what does the human ask for?" 

You knew exactly where this was going. "What?" 

Sans smiled. "the bartender." 

Maybe it was the delivery but everyone laughed, even Toriel, although it was behind her paw with a scandalized expression. You managed a "pfft" despite a brilliant blush, and Grillby put an arm around you. 

_That wasn't funny, Uncle Sans._

"i know kiddo, just starting you off easy." 

______! Why did the skeleton put up a dating profile?_

"Why, Frisk?" 

_Because he was_ \- here Frisk fingerspelled - _bonely._ You giggled. You loved puns. 

"kid you can't just steal my jokes. here's one that'll tickle your funny bone, _____. why did the babybones apologize to his mummy?" 

"Why?" 

"because he told her a _fibula_." 

The giggle train had arrived, partially because you heard Papyrus groan. It seemed he had heard that one before. 

_This isn't fair. I wasn't telling _____ jokes, I was flirting with her._

"_____, you laughed at frisk's advances? how cruel." 

You nodded and put your hands over your mouth, trying to stop the giggles from escaping. 

"i mean, what if _i_ were to say that i like your buns?" Sans was assembling a hamburger. You snorted and continued laughing. Toriel was nearly crying laughing. Guess puns were her weak point. 

"really, do you relish their misery?" When Sans applied the offending condiment, Papyrus looked like he was seriously considering leaping out the window. 

"but i guess something about grillby really lights a fire in you." Undyne's laugh was for the wrong reason, you could tell. 

You stopped laughing long enough to jump in with, "Yep. No _bones_ about it. I've got the hots for Grillby." Toriel's laughter had reached a point where it almost frightened you. Your new goal was making her actually cry laughing, because her laugh was reaching the edge of a bleat. 

"what's the matter tori? something got your goat?" You would've high-fived Sans if you could reach. 

Toriel grabbed the macaroni and cheese and choked out, "I-I just really think your puns are ch-cheesy!" The dam broke and she was laughing so hard she cried. 

You kept going but it all stopped when Ppayrus said, an uncomfortable sweat beading on his brow, "Lettuce Put An End To This. Please." 

"Ok Papyrus, I guess things have come to a head." The tall skeleton moaned in anguish and laid his head on the table. Sans looked like he wanted to kiss you. 

"Well, we could watch the anime Undyne and I brought. The power's been back for a while now." Alphys looked uncomfortable to even be making a suggestion. 

"I don't know, Papy and I were planning to check and make sure there's no one out who still needs help." Mettaton rushed the words out like he wanted to leave immediately. 

"sure that's gonna be safe, paps?" Damn, and you almost got them out without any contact between Mettaton and Sans. 

"We won't be long. Just the houses between here and my place, I'll need to charge again in a few hours." Mettaton fixed Sans with an intense stare, daring him to say anything. 

"sorry. must not have heard me. _paps_ , are you sure about this?' 

"Brother I Will Be Fine. Mettaton And I Won't Be Out Late And I'll Text You When I Am Headed Home." You swore you heard him mutter something like "and I don't know why you do this in front of everyone," as he gathered his things and made his goodbyes. 

Frisk tapped you on the shoulder. _Are they getting back together?_

"Think so." You shrugged. 

_Sans isn't going to be happy._

"Is he ever?" 

Frisk smiled a little. _Guess not. Do you think it's a good idea?_

"I don't know them well enough to say. What do you think?" 

_Don't know. Papyrus likes everyone, but he really likes Mettaton. And Mettaton likes him too. Their souls compliment each other. Isn't that all they need?_

"I don't know if it's that simple, Frisk. Would that it were, though. Then, everybody would be happy." 

_Yeah, I guess. Let's go watch anime._ You let Frisk guide you into your own living room where Alphys was hooking her laptop up to the TV. 

"We thought we'd try something brand new, and then an old classic." 

"fine by me." Sans was practically pouting now that Papyrus had left, sitting in the corner of the couch. You squished up next to him. 

"Don't be so down in the dumps. I'm sure they left so fast because they didn't want Mettaton to get dunked on." 

"you're about to get dunked on if you don't get out of my ribs." You had snaked an arm around him and held him close by the rib cage. 

"It's too late, you already did," you brandished an ankle, "Frisk and I have decided to make you less grumpy." Frisk nodded and gave Sans a thumbs up. Grillby had joined you on the couch, putting an arm around your shoulders. 

"So Frisk, what's the best way to cheer your Uncle Sans up?" 

Frisk paused for a second, thinking. _Cuddles! And puns, I guess._ They practically leapt into Sans' lap. He didn't look to please with you and Frisk's proximity at first, but soon he smiled a little and relaxed. Undyne and Alphys were having troubles finding the anime they wanted to watch, so you all were cuddling just because. 

"Alright Frisk. What's the next step?" Hopefully, it didn't involve Sans snapping and murdering the two of you. Frisk paused to think again. Later, you'd realize they were plotting. 

_You should kiss him._

Both you and Sans immediately blushed and choked out a "what?" 

"Uh. Frisk? You do know I'm dating Grillby, right? I just can't go around kissing people because you think it will make them happy." You always tried to speak and sign at the same time to them as a way of re-learning but your signs were frantic and probably made zero sense. 

_Grillby understands._

"grillbz, it's really ok if you _don't_ understand." 

Grillby seemed to enjoy you and Sans' discomfort and shrugged. Frisk clapped their hands together. _See, it's fine._

"Well, it's making me uncomfortable. Nothing against you Sans, it just strikes me as weird." You anxiously ran your free hand through your hair. Toriel sat in a big chair and just watched, smirking to herself. 

_Do it!! Affection will make Sans happy!_ Frisk sure was determined. 

you sighed. The last thing you wanted was for anyone else to notice. Since you were still free of Undyne and Alphys' notice, you bit the bullet and leaned in close, pressing your lips to the corner of Sans' mouth. It was close enough to be considered a lip kiss, because it wasn't like Frisk would be contented with a kiss on the cheek, right? 

"well, i can say that you've made us all feel uncomfortable. happy, kid?" 

_Yeah! Awkward is better than sad._ Frisk turned to face forward with a smile. Alphys and Undyne had found some sort of school girl princess anime and you could barely follow it. This might have been due to the strange feeling that had washed over you. Your heart was pounding and your chest just felt... weird. You could have kissed Sans on the cheek and then protested, but you didn't. And you were pretty sure that you and Grillby didn't have an open relationship. Maybe you did, he wasn't acting any different except maybe his arm was a little tighter around your shoulders. 

Frisk had looked pretty smug, admiring the brilliant red and blue of your faces. Now they were enraptured with the anime, even getting off of Sans' lap to sit closer to the television. Or maybe this had been their plan all along, making you cuddle with Sans and Grillby. Frisk seemed like a plotter, that was for sure. They were always, at least in the time you'd spent with them, acting older than their years. Certainly, they were innocent but they were far more insightful and intelligent than your average pre-teen. And more mischievous, you reflected, as Sans relaxed completely against your arm, dozing off. Certainly more mischievous. 

Grillby had shifted to only hold your thigh as he leaned forward, intensely watching some climactic scene. You found yourself leaning against Sans, and your head growing heavier... 

"They're really cute, don't you think Frisk? Yeah, it would be a pity to wake them." 

"And the scene with the piano really showed his growth as a character..." 

"It was sad when their mother died. I hate those scenes in anime, because they're always done so heartrendingly." 

"I totally shipped them. Oh my gosh not as much as these two!" 

"Yeah! Sorry Grillby, but they're too cute to disturb!" 

"Since the rain has stopped, are you headed out too? You might still be able to open the bar tonight." 

"Yeah, I will. Just need to grab my stuff and a towel for my bike. They'll be fine." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heh.


	17. The Awakening

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "I dreamed a dream, a silent dream of a land not far away where no bird sang, no steeples rang, and teardrops fell like rain. I dreamed a dream; a silent dream. I dreamed a dream of a land so filled with pride that every song, both weak and strong, withered and died. I dreamed a dream No hallelujah; not one hosanna! No song of love, no lullaby. And no choir sang to change the world. No pipers played, no dancers twirled. I dreamed a dream; a silent dream.
> 
> Awake, awake! Soli deo gloria! Awake, Awake! Awake my soul and sing, the time for praise has come. The silence of the night has passed, a new day has begun! Let music never die in me; forever let my spirit sing! Wherever emptiness is found let there be joy and glorious sound. Let music never die in me; forever let my spirit sing! Let all our voices join as one to praise the giver of the sun! Awake, awake! Let music live!" - Joseph M. Martin, "The Awakening" (It's a really cool choral piece that I remember doing in high school, and totally unrelated to the chapter.)
> 
> Also I totally broke 4000 hits when I wasn't looking. Thank you so much, everyone.

_What is that?_ Strains of a familiar yet unfamiliar jazz tune filled your ear. You didn't want to open your eyes, just wanted to fall back asleep on this firm pillow. But the pillow sighed and moved it's hand away from yours to reach into it's pocket. 

You pretended to be asleep despite the faint horror starting to dawn on you. You weren't on a person you should be using as a pillow. 

"hey paps. ok. i'll be there soon, maybe. in a little _sit_ uation here... no, i can't say i am glad. if that box of bolts hurts you again i will make sure alphys can't repair him. heh, well, i'll have a _bone_ to pick with him no matter what. yeah. no. just us two, i think. i was snoozing and _____ fell asleep on me. she's still out. i don't want to move her, i still feel bad for last night. don't know what i'd do if i accidentally hurt her again. what? when you put it that way... not in this situation. well, yeah. not like this, though. she's... you know. i told you. what was that sound? did you bring him home? oh, the power's still out down there. well, ok." Sans sighed, "i'm trying to uh, respect your maturity here so i will refrain. i will just stick around here, i guess. just, yeah. i love you too paps. thanks for the heads-up. yeah. ok. bye." Click of bone against phone. "so glad we're moving. won't have to worry about what parts of the house are now besmirched to me." 

You felt uncomfortable overhearing the call but would have felt more so if he knew you were awake. And you weren't sure what Sans had meant, but that wasn't anything to worry about. It wasn't meant for your ears. 

"_____." 

You tried to act like you were waking up, blinking slowly and looking confused. You didn't think Sans bought it but you were pretty sure that he would pretend along with you. 

"you're awake now, good. uh, tibia honest, you're pretty nice to sleep next to, but could you get off of me now?" 

You shifted over somewhat drowsily and extracted your arm from behind the skeleton. "Sorry about all that. The anime was pretty boring and I guess I got sleepy." 

Sans blushed blue, "don't worry about it. happens to everyone at some point. besides, you're pretty warm." 

"Well, you're pretty comfortable for being all bones." You ran a hand through your hair, trying not to blush. 

"is it cool if i hang out for a little while? i'll help you clean up or something. paps, uh, brought mettaton home and i don't want to walk in on anything. bad enough to think about it to begin with." 

"Oh. Oh my... I don't..." You started laughing. Sans treated Papyrus like a child a lot of the time but he was actually an adult, and it made Sans nervous. 

"Yeah, you can stay, bud. No worries. They grow up so fast, right?" 

"you aren't funny. maybe i'll be better off being bonely..." 

"No, no, I'm sorry, Sans. Let's see how bad the kitchen looks." You two walked in and it turned out to be spotless. There was a note from Toriel. " _I hope you don't mind but I did some cleaning! It was the least I could do after you opened your house to everyone for such a spectacular meal. And Frisk is quite taken with you! We'll see you again on Sunday, after Sans and Papyrus finish moving!_ " She had left an impressive signature and her phone number beneath. Frisk had spelled their name under it in refrigerator magnets. 

"well, i'd say it looks torible." 

You giggled, "yeah, it's really baa-ad." 

"heh, guess it's back to the drawing board." 

"Do you think we'll still be able to go to the science center tomorrow?" 

"that's a good question. the rain's stopped and that place is a little higher on the mountain... i feel like tomorrow will be ok but i don't know about sunday... if it stays dry, we should be alright." 

"Oh. Oh no. Sunday. Oh shit. Sans, you have to help me. I promised to perform a song for Papyrus and I can't... I don't know what to do. I don't... Sans, why did I agree to this?" 

"well, you'd better not disappoint my bro. you can perform it for me tonight and i'll help you." 

"Uhh... I guess that'll work. But what does he even like? What should I do?" 

"icy you're in a hard place. well, don't freeze up, he likes that newer movie with the talking snowman." 

"I don't know if 'Let It Go' is appropriate." 

"there's more than just that one. or if you snow any of mettaton's songs, they'd work too. i'd prefer not to hear it though," he trailed off with a, "get enough of that at home..." 

"Ok. We will use our resources and find a good one. And you'd better not laugh at me. I remember now that the only reason I agreed to do this was because you were giving me murder eyes." 

"that's slander. i did nothing like that at all." 

"I was terrified." 

"eye don't know why you'd see it that way." He winked. 

"Ok what about this one? 'Love is an Open Door'. Doesn't that guy betray her? I saw this movie on a plane once. The lyrics are pretty ok, though." 

"i don't remember. how are you going to make a duet work?" 

"Well, if he likes it, he'll join in?" 

"that's a broad estimation." 

"I guess I'll learn this. Please don't laugh." You felt awkward, but you knew that Sans was the best person to help you with anything Papyrus-related. 

So you spent the rest of the night badly singing a song meant for two, and by the time Sans felt it was safe to go home, you no longer felt so embarrassed. That part of Sunday no longer worried you. You fell asleep on a pillow that still had a faint, smoky musk, like a bonfire at the beginning of autumn, but your dreams didn't reflect on the owner. Rather they were of smiles made of bone, and eyelights, puns and those who detested them. And someone dreamt of you, too. 

Saturday morning came, and the weather was fairly clear. Some areas around own looked worse for wear when you saw them on the news, but you thought you'd still be able to make it out. The only thing weighing on your excitement was lingering guilt. Your phone had died the night before and when you plugged it in, you had texts waiting. 

[New Message: Grillby <3: Hope you don't mind, but I left you with Sans. Everyone thought it was cute.] [Grillby <3: I didn't know you disliked anime. It's my guilty pleasure. ;) ] [Grillby <3: And you only did that for Frisk... right??] [Grillby <3: Right?] [Grillby <3: Well, you're probably still napping. Gonna open the bar. Hope to see you come by later on.] [Grillby <3: Ok, maybe you didn't see my texts. Give me a call when you do.] 

You swallowed a lump in your throat. Your hand shook as you found the call button. 

One ring. Not holding his phone. 

Two. Phone is further away. 

Three. Maybe still asleep? 

Four. Well, shit. 

Five- almost, then a crackling growl. Sound of a throat clearing. Then. "Sorry, you woke me up." Voice rough from sleep. 

"I'm sorry. My phone died last night and I didn't realize it until I went to bed." Your excuse, while honest, sounded hollow to even your own ears. 

"Mhmmm. Yeah. Ok, _____." 

"I'm sorry babe, I'm a jerk." 

"No. It's ok. Didn't realize what this was to you." He was still groggy but there was a new edge to his voice. 

"What do you mean?" You knew what he meant. 

"This is casual to you." Was that... disdain in his voice? It stung. 

"No. Babe... Grillby, please. It's not. I was just keeping Frisk happy. It didn't mean anything." Right? It didn't, did it? Why was there 

doubt? "Ok. Well, what are you plans today?" 

"This is going to sound really incriminating, but I had plans to head to the science center with Sans today." This could only be received 

badly. "Can't you take a rain check? We need to talk, in person." 

"We already bought the tickets." You hated to be the bearer of 

disappointment. "Well... ok. That's fine. Tomorrow? Oh, they're moving in, right? After? Please?" 

"Toriel invited us to dinner. That includes you, of course." Somehow, this was affecting your fear of 

rejection. "I can't go. I need to open the bar." 

"Ok. Monday then. Or Sunday after? I'm so sorry." You could feel heat behind your eyes. Everything felt heavy with 

sadness. "Yeah." He sighed, "Busy weekend. I'll talk to you later, if you respond." 

Ouch. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the closest I've got to angst.


	18. Ouch.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 90% of this chapter is an anxiety attack so if you might be bothered by that I would advise skipping it.

You didn't have long to mope about being a bad girlfriend before your phone rang again. 

"heya. it's looking pretty dry out here. looks like it didn't rain on our parade." Sans sounded so cheerful. It was a strong contrast to your gloom. 

"Yeah, I guess. When and where are we meeting?" You tried to mask your emotions, but it failed. 

"you ok? did your parade get rained on?" 

"No. Just... stuff. I'm fine." You headed to the kitchen, preparing coffee. Shit, no creamer. Your coffee would be bitter. Just like how Grillby's voice had sounded at the end of that call. Fuck, you weren't ok. 

"and we could check out the geological section if that sounds gneiss." 

You just weren't cut out for relationships. Clearly. You had to face it. 

"uh, _____. i've made six science puns and you haven't said a thing. are you sure you're ok?" 

"I-I-I..." You broke. "No, I'm not." Your words were half a sob. You were angry with yourself for starting to cry. You hadn't known Grillby a week and yet he could have this effect? Seriously? 

"i'll be there in a minute." Boop. You sank to the kitchen floor, black coffee in one hand , the other dropping your phone and rubbing your eyes. This was stupid. These feelings weren't valid. 

_Actually,_ a voice in your head reminded, _nothing you do is valid. You are a waste of space._ You could feel your whole body tensing. Your heartbeat speeding up. _You are a failure. It doesn't matter what you do, you will never succeed. No one will ever love you. You don't even have any friends._

"_____? _____! hey. please look at me. what happened? what's wrong?" 

It felt like your throat was full of sand. Down goes coffee. You drew your knees into your chest and wrapped your arms around them. 

"....you're trembling. _____, i need to know what to do. i just..." Arms stronger than you'd think. Picked up, held. _He probably hates you for making him do this._ Sans places you on the couch, and walks away. Your eyes are blurry with tears but you know he's gone forever. _No one wants to deal with you and your bullshit._

"i hope this is ok. all i could find." A soft, fuzzy, blue blanket. You always used this when your anxiety was getting to you. How did he know? He wraps it around you and pulls you close. A lot like yesterday. _You dirty cheater._ More tears. You lean into him, because what else can you do? 

Hand smoothing your hair. "just tell me what to do, when you can." 

You spent what felt like hours just sitting there, tense and anxious and miserable. Eventually, your sobs decayed to sniffles and your grasp on Sans relaxed a little. He looked down at you with worry. 

You took slow breaths and said in a tiny voice, "Sorry. You shouldn't have to see me like this. I'm awful." You were shaking again. 

"no, you're not. this happens to a lot of people. you will be ok. this doesn't define you." Sans' fingers were soothing in your hair.

His remark reminded you of something you had heard the last time you were in therapy. "You are not your illness." That was true. And you knew that you were worth more than that part of you was shouting inside. The texture of the blanket kept you in the moment. You rubbed it between your fingers and if you had been alone, you would have considered rubbing it against your face. You cleared your throat more out of nerves than any kind of need.

"I just... I meant to start today differently. It's been so long since the last attack." You clutched the blanket around you, feeling cold down to your bones. 

"i don't think you really had a choice." Sans' hand stopped for a moment. 

"I guess not. I just feel so powerless. So pathetic."

"you're not, really. anything i can do?" Sans sounded so concerned that it made you want to cry all over again.

The knowledge that you could overcome your anxiety with the help of a friend filled you with **bravery**. You gently moved Sans' hand and rose slowly, holding your blanket tight, like a cloak. 

You returned to the kitchen, rinsing out your failed coffee and reaching into a cabinet. Behind your teas and your unopened coffee was what you were looking for. You took out the smooth, red canister and opened it, inhaling the strong, sweet scent. You steamed some milk and scooped some powder into your freshly rinsed mug. Poured the milk and stirred vigorously. You sipped on the peppermint hot chocolate and met Sans' stare. He looked at you like you were a kicked puppy.

"so..." Sans' eyes darted nervously from where you had been sitting to where you leaned against the counter now with apprehension. 

"Go ahead." God, your entire face felt puffy. You still felt rigid and very not-ok, but the hot, sweet liquid was helping you feel better. You had been through way worse. You could be brave. 

"what happened?"

"I had an anxiety attack." Sip. Stare.

"that's not what i meant." He looked at the floor.

"Just... stuff." Stare into cocoa like it will help you.

"your line was busy when i tried calling the first time." Why was he prying?

"Yeah, I had to call Grillby." Sip. Act casual even though you feel hollow.

"your SOUL... it's been so dark. it flashed a little brighter for a minute there, but it's really... did he say something?"

"Why are you looking?" Don't acknowledge the problem. Never do. Sip. Breathe.

"because i'm worried about you."

"We had some words. He texted me a lot yesterday and I didn't respond even once and after... well, you know, it was tense and I am the worst." Gulp. Stare into mug. Don't look at Sans.

"i'm sorry." You didn't need to look to know he meant it.

"And we meant to talk in-person but I had to put him off and it's crystal clear that I'm meant to be alone. I'm a horrible person." Sip. Mug is empty. Set it on the counter. Stare at your hands.

Arms wrapped around you before you knew they were coming. It was hard to describe what Sans smelled like. If asked, you might say it was somewhere between green tea and pavement after the rain, with only a slight tinge of ketchup. It was a very grounding smell. Your face was buried in the shoulder of his coat and he rubbed your back.

"you're not horrible, _____. i've seen a lot of horrible things, but you're not one of them." if you had been in a better state of mind, you would have questioned that, but instead you just let yourself relax a little. After a few more seconds, Sans stepped away. You swiped at your eyes impatiently before you met his gaze. You never realized a skull could look so sad.

"Um, do you still want to make good on those tickets? I understand if you don't want to be seen with me..." You still felt so down in the dumps about yourself.

"shouldn't i be the one saying that?" Sans laughed a little. "i still want to go if you're still feeling up to it. i totally understand if you're not." You weren't sure if you _were_ up to it, but you definitely weren't up to meeting with Grillby, which was what you'd do otherwise.

So you managed a week smile and a, "Sure. We can go." 

Sans' expression immediately changed to excitement. "great! i'm not normally one to do this, but i have it all planned out."

You also didn't know a skull could look so happy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel really bad about this chapter and I don't know why. Maybe because it's two sads in a row.


	19. You Can't See Red Dwarfs, Or The Two Of Us Together

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You go to science. Sans ends up telling you about stars.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [I tumble. ](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/sparklecinnamonbunny)  
>  Also I posted this then forgot to say: Thank you so so so so much for over 300 kudos!! I have never had anything I've made be so successful and well-received.

It was decided that Sans would attend to some things while you got ready and then he would come back and you'd head up to the science center. You didn't hear him leave, which was always so _weird_. You quickly found some clothes and made your way into the shower. A glimpse of yourself in the mirror was enough to make you cringe. As the water heated, you stared at the red, puffy eyes, blotchy, wan face, and fearful expression your anxiety had brought you. The sight of yourself at your worst compelled you to try and be your best. 

After your shower, you dressed and put on makeup. Even after the shower, you looked like you'd been crying, but now you looked and felt better. You didn't hear Sans coming back, so you took the time to dry and straighten your hair. Doing your hair and makeup had always been a form of self-care for you. The gentle click of the ceramic plates soothed you. It sounded kind of like Sans' fingers on your counter had. Next time you should just ask him to tap his fingers every 15 seconds or so. You laughed softly to yourself.

A head poked into the bathroom. "feeling better? you look... really nice." He had gotten back without a sound. How did he do that?

"Oh, you're back! Thanks. Looking better makes me feel better. How's the weather?" Only a little bit more to go.

Sans was blushing. "uh, it's... uh. let me check." He started to hurry off then stopped and turned back around. "i forgot skeletons don't feel temperature. i'll check the forecast." You finished your hair and put on earrings, considering the infinity scarf you had laid on the bathroom counter.

Sans returned quickly. "there's a high of 70 and a 30% chance of rain. but it's 68 right now. anything else?" You reached to drape the scarf around your neck, but on a whim, dropped it over Sans' head. The blush was reaching a lovely shade of electric blue. You couldn't help but giggle. 

"um, i... _hood_ you believe this doesn't complement my jacket?" You took it back and put it on. Sans looked so awkward in that moment that it made you feel a strange sort of joy. Soon after, you two headed out the door.

At first, the drive was uncomfortable. Neither of you spoke, and you didn't have any music playing, so the air became tense with silence. That is, until you two bumped hands reaching for the radio knob. You both laughed nervously before you let Sans take control of the music, handing him your phone and the aux cable. "You can look through my music if you want. Don't laugh at my stuff, though. Unless you have something better."

Sans casually flipped through your music, and if he laughed, you didn't hear it. He decided on an acoustic playlist and you two settled in for the rest of the drive through town and up to the science center. You didn't now how many love songs you had on your phone until that ride. You didn't dare look at Sans. After how close you'd been the last couple days, the last thing you needed was to chance any sort of romantic sentiment. It was bad enough that you had felt as... unsettled as you did after you two kissed. 

But eventually you arrived and parked. It wasn't very crowded, thanks to the recent inclement weather. You showed your tickets and got in without any problems, and as soon as you crossed the threshold into the actual center, Sans changed. He was so tremendously excited, directing you from section to section and practically running between them. He admired every exhibit, read every panel. You were rushed to keep up with him, but you didn't mind at all. 

"You know Sans, you're really in an excited state. It's nice to see you with so much more energy than usual." You successfully avoided laughing at your own pun, and then waited for it to register with Sans. You were in the Physics room, and he was staring at a wall describing the life and work of Niels Bohr. 

He laughed. "i'm just glad you're not finding this a _bohr_." 

"No, I like this stuff. Plus, it's cool to hear your descriptions of what you knew of this underground, and just to see you in a good mood. I'm sorry I haven't been more talkative, just... you know." You ran a hand through your hair.

"you studied some physics, right? underground, i have a doctorate in astrophysics, but i haven't gotten any colleges up here to even give me half of the credits i deserve. can't really afford to go back to school right now either, even if it's just to sit around and do nothing in the classes." Sans sighed, deflating a little. 

"Yeah, I was really into quantum for a while, but it just didn't work out for me. So I went back for something... easier, and now I have a pretty cool career. Not the original goal, but still... neat. But I guess I'd better be calling you Dr. Sans, right?" You nudged him, trying to cheer him up.

"you really don't have to, _____. i profess that the title doesn't suit me, even if i decided to teach. i've really only been able to do lab work with alphys since we've hit the surface. that and some other odd jobs, here and there. she had a lot of gold saved when we hit the surface, and exchanged it for human money almost immediately. she was able to pay for and get her doctorate back in about a year and a half." Sans was staring wistfully at the portraits of physics greats on the walls.

"I'm sorry that the system is unfair. I can't imagine being cheated out of recognition for my life's work... If I had work worth cheating for. I know you wanted to go mess with the electromagnetism demonstration, but I'm a little tired. Would you mind going to a planetarium show with me?" The schedule in your little center pamphlet claimed the next show was "A Tour of the Stars" so you thought it might cheer Sans up a little. 

"yeah, that's fine. i've been dragging you around pretty fast, sorry about that. let's head over, then." Sans walked much more slowly on your way to the planetarium, presumably lost in thought. You bought the tickets before he could protest, and lead Sans into the darkening room. You grabbed seats in the back center and got ready for the show. You peered around and noticed that it was just the two of you and a very bored looking employee. 

"Hey, are you two back there ready? Looks like it's just us this time." You two gave a thumbs-up, and the employee started the program. 

But of course, a minute or two in, the employee's belt lit up and started beeping. "Oh my God I'm so sorry but I have to run out. A kid is stuck in one of the displays. You two look nice, so just uh, sit tight, I guess. I'll be back in time for the end... hopefully. How did they even get in there? This is above my pay grade..." The employee started the program over and scurried out, locking the doors. 

"heh, now there's no one to protect you from my puns." Sans was looking at you, instead of the screen, where they might have been talking about a history of astronomy, judging by the pictures of old men. 

"At least you won't be bored by that teenager's commentary. Tell me about this stuff." 

"well, to begin with, our galaxy is made out of stars, remnants, and a lot of gas and dust. much like humanity." The lights in Sans' eyes were glowing as brightly as the stars on the screen. "where the clouds of dust and gas are thickest, stars are almost constantly being formed. a lot of these stars are low-mass, and some are high-mass. but all stars spend the majority of their life on the main sequence." He was correlating surprisingly well with the video. 

"This isn't stopping you from enjoying it, right?" A pang of guilt. You were supposed to be cheering Sans up this way, not making it all about yourself. 

"yeah, i like explaining. so stars spend their entire life, pretty much, fusing hydrogen to helium in their cores. but the size of the star determines the way their lives turn out. there are very low mass stars that have been living since the beginning of the universe. the biggest stars become supergiants, and fuse heavier elements, which is how we have all of what we have in our world. then they explode." A massive star went supernova at that exact moment and the resulting explosion dazzled your eyes. 

"Have you seen this before?" 

"...maybe. it's still cool though, i've never had the chance to explain it myself. you make a great audience, ____." He clasped your hand for a second, and then seemed to think better of it. "so, stars like our sun spend part of their lifetime on the main sequence, and then become red giants when they run out of hydrogen to burn. they form a shell, then they blow it off and become a white dwarf. stars also form systems, but it's not common." 

"So, what kind of stars do you see the most?" You were just happy to watch the starscapes and hear Sans explain the basics of astronomy, but you felt like you had to try and sound more interested. 

"red dwarfs comprise about 80% of all stars. maybe it's more than that, i don't recall, but actually, you and i can't see them because they aren't very bright." The camera panned out to a wide view of the Milky Way, the colors and speckling of stars making you gasp. You'd seen it before, but it never lost it's charm. 

"This always makes me feel so small, but it's so amazing to see."

"yeah. i'm just glad to be able to see the stars now. we had these crystals in waterfall that we would stare at and imagine were stars. beautiful, but i don't think i could ever see them that way again now that i've seen the real thing." The program was ending and your teenage guide still wasn't back. 

"So, I guess we're just locked in here in the dark. Unless you want to try and find the lights with me?" You couldn't say you weren't nervous.

"nah, i'm sure they'll be back soon. i just wanted to say thank you for coming out with me, ____. especially after how crazy the last couple days have been. i uh, i feel compelled to be honest here. it might not be _stellar_ of me, but i... i originally wanted this to be a date." Sans paused and you hoped he couldn't see how rigid your posture had gotten. Your nervousness skyrocketed.

"but, when you hit things off so well with grillby, i couldn't exactly tell you that you'd sparked my interest. talking with you about the apartment, and then meeting you, i wanted to take a chance. then i saw you two in his kitchen and i knew i hadn't been quick enough. and now... i have to realize we'll only be friends. neighbors. even when you kissed me, the hope was smothered..." Sans was staring at the ceiling, as if begging the stars to come back so he would have something else to talk about. You stayed silent out of a mixture of curiosity and worry.

"i don't mean to make you uncomfortable... i swear i didn't have any plans after i realized you were pretty... serious about grillby. and especially not after this morning." Sans stared you in the eyes now, waiting for an answer.

"Yeah, it's ok Sans. I'm more than happy to be your friend." Oddly, it hurt to say that. You disregarded it. Probably just leftover weirdness from this whole situation. And Grillby-related pain. You gave Sans' hand a friendly squeeze. He gave you the strangest look, and then you heard the planetarium door unlocking.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't mean for Sans to confess but then it just happened. Reader continues to be oblivious.


	20. It's Only Awkward if You Make it Awkward

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I work all the time now. It's killing my typing and editing time. ;~;

The teenaged employee's return lifted the spell between the two of you. The romantic tension that you had tried to deny between you and Sans dispersed immediately, and all that remained was a slight awkwardness. 

"Sorry about that. Kids and tubes never seem to go together well around here. Did you two have any questions?"

You gave an uneasy chuckle, "Haha... no, my friend Sans here was able to explain it all to me." 

"Really? Do you come here often?"

"not really. i just know a lot about stars. i have, well... had a degree."

"Oh man. My little sister is friends with that Frisk kid and she- he-... _they_ told me about how a lot of monsters weren't able to get their degrees accredited up here. What a nightmare. Thanks for waiting, by the way. Uh, have a good rest of your day."

You and Sans waved politely and headed out the back. You took a moment or two to blink away the darkness, and your stomach rumbled. "I hope the next thing you have planned is a lunch break."

"yeah, it is actually. are you afraid of spiders?"

"Not really?"

"how do you feel about... roller coasters?"

"I'm not sure where you're going with this."

"i want to show you something."

"Go ahead.

Sans peered around carefully then turned to you and murmured, "grab my hand." You grabbed it, vacillating between being confused and nervous. Sans held your hand firmly. "close your eyes." You shut them and felt the bottom of your stomach drop out. A breeze of that smell you could only describe as Sans, and then the smell of fresh baked bread accosted your nostrils and made your stomach return.

You opened your eyes and looked around frantically. "Did- did we just teleport?! What the hell? Don't look so smug! This is a scientific impossibility at the moment and you prefaced it with 'i want to show you something.' Sans please."

The skeleton did not look even a nanogram less smug. He shrugged, grin firmly affixed to his skull. "it's part of my magic. just works. been wanting to show you for a little while now."

"Oooook. Well, you must be what Undyne calls a 'boss monster' then, right? If run-of-the-mill monsters can do this shit I'm so done." You were a little impressed, to say the least. Sans blushed.

"yeah, kind of. keep it on the down low, ok?" Sans gestured towards the building, "welcome to muffet's spider bakery. was gonna take you to grillby's and put up with you flirting but it didn't seem like such a good idea." 

You nodded. "Yeah, I guess not. I'm really excited about this though! I smelled this place when I came down here the other day." 

"you're excited _now_." Sans and you proceeded into the bakery, and found a charming cafe layout and an equally charming spider monster waiting up front. 

"Sans! And you brought a friend, I see." She reached with one of her right hands to shake with you.

"A lady friend." "I heard she-" Whispers carried from the back of the room but the woman spoke again before you could discern what - or who - was said.

"I'm Muffet. I'm so glad that you made it to my bake shop. What would you like?" She pressed a lilac laminated menu into your hands and you attempted to glance over it.

"i'll have a club sandwich and a spider cider." Sans must've been here before. You tried to find items that stuck out to you but ended up asking for the same.

"Really? Ahuhuhuhu... That will be ready soon dearies." You found a table and before the two of you could really engage in conversation, your food appeared. You had never seen so many spiders so close together. A tiny army carried your trays, speaking with equally tiny voices. 

"Your food, ma'am!" "Your food, Sans!"

"Oh my goodness. This is the best. Thank you! You're so cool!"

"Thank _you_!" "I guess this one doesn't squish spiders."

The sandwiches were excellent, coming with classic cafe sides. Your cider, on the other hand...

"This is a really nice cider, but something tastes... different about it. Is yours alright, Sans?"

"probably tastes weird because it's made of spiders."

"Wait, really? Like... those cool little guys that brought us our food? Isn't that kind of... odd?"

"yeah. no one likes eating spider more than spiders." Sans didn't seem bothered in the least. You, meanwhile, stared at your food in apprehension, a mute horror rising in your chest.

You tried to shake it off and play it cool. "Well, if they're ok with it, I mean... But Sans... what about the sandwich?" It certainly looked like turkey and ham.

"have you never had a club sandwich before?"

"Oh. Ok. Just checking." Spider cannibalism as a restaurant concept would not have been your first choice for lunch but it was actually quite good. You felt content as you finished and let Sans pay the bill.

"See you two next time! You make such a cute couple!" It was a good thing Muffet didn't see how red your face turned. Sans seemed preoccupied in making sure you two were alone.

"ok, she went into the back. c'mon." You didn't close your eyes this time and got a flash of darkness before you came out next to your car.

"Wait, if we were going to leave now, why didn't we drive to Muffet's to begin with?"

"... i didn't think of that." Sans grinned sheepishly. "i mean i didn't want grillby to see your car?"

"That makes sense." You laughed together as you got in the car and began heading home. 

The drive back was a lot more amicable than the one there had been. You chucked over Muffet's misjudgment, even if it was with a bit of nervousness. There was still something a bit off about your interactions, but it wasn't too bad. You were mostly trying to deny the disappointment you felt at Sans' confession. A weight had been lifted from your chest only to be replaced by a heavier one. It wasn't that you were upset about Sans liking you that way. In hindsight, it was entirely obvious. And while you now saw the kiss incident in a different light, that wasn't it either. What, did you _want_ Sans to have feelings for you? If that was the case, you were more fucked up than you thought. You and Grillby were happy together, with today as an exception, and it was still so early in the relationship. It would make sense if you had doubts. 

You knew that if you and Grillby had the chance to talk, everything would get worked out. Either you would move past the issue or split up. You had learned from just your week of acquaintance that he was good in the kitchen and the bedroom, so you hoped to find out how good he was everywhere else. You didn't realize you had driven Sans back to your house until you had parked.

"Oh man, I'm sorry, Sans. I should have offered to drive you home. I totally spaced. You can hang out if you want, I've got some stuff I need to do but it doesn't require all my focus. Otherwise, I guess your magic is pretty helpful right now. Sorry." You felt guilty. Could you even remember the last few things he had mentioned to you? You tended to tune everything else out when you thought about your problems.

"think i'll just head home. normally, i'd stick around but i still gotta pack my room up. wouldn't let paps do it. see you tomorrow." He gave you a one-armed hug, and by the time you had gotten out of the car and peeked around the side, he was gone. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 4/10 needs more puns.


	21. Hi-Diddly-Ho There, Neighbor!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Look I wrote a thing.  
> Harass me on tumblr [here](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/sparklecinnamonbunny)

You had made it through most of one coffee before you received the first phone call of the day. 

"_____! PLEASE INFORM MY BROTHER THAT HE CANNOT JUST TELEPORT HIS THINGS TO THE APARTMENT! AND THAT HE IS LAZY." You heard the rustling of the phone being shoved about and the click against bone. Papyrus must have known that Sans showed you his magic.

"it's easier this way." You could hear Sans' amusement from across town. You were almost entirely sure he was being so insistent just to rile Papyrus up, but you felt like you owed Papyrus something. Last night he added you to a video call with Mettaton because you kept texting him asking what kind of gifts Sans liked. You had put off your house-warming shopping until the last minute.

"Sans, you don't think people would ask questions about how you had things in there before you had the keys?"

"of course not." You heard Papyrus give an exasperated moan and a door slam shut. Sans lowered his voice, "but i think we might have the same hunch about someone in the office, so you might understand why i'm trying to minimize our travel time."

You sighed. "We just might. Won't moving that way make you tired, though?"

"yeah. that's why we're still loading up paps' and undyne's cars."

"Well... be careful, ok? And Undyne's helping you?"

"i'll only bring a few boxes, and yeah. undyne and mettaton are pitching in. alphys is at some conference this weekend."

"Oh, alright. That should be... interesting." You were worried about the monsters' reception. Even if three of them spent hours helping folks evacuate a few days ago, you had the feeling it wouldn't matter. Also, there was the matter of your song and dance for Papyrus. You had jackassed your way into it, but when you realized your audience was more than just the two skeletons, your heart thumped painfully. This is what you got for lying about your secret passion for Disney songs. Learning a new one was embarrassing enough, even if it was catchy. 

You tried to look as cute as possible within the bounds of reason. If you were going to be a mess, you might as well be a hot one. You heard thumps across the hall and smiled to yourself. Sans had gotten his way. You knocked on the door and he opened it after a loud thump and a smattering of curse words.

"hey _____. you surprised me. didn't think you'd know i was in yet."

"Walls are thin, I guess. Heard you moving stuff around." You hoped they weren't _too_ thin or it boded poorly for the future.

"i guess i was a bit loud coming in." Thank goodness. "you can _box_ my ears for it if you'd like."

"You don't have ears."

"but i have boxes." His eyes did a really cute thing when he was amused. You mentally shook yourself. _Don't even start._

"Puns don't process well on one cup of coffee. I'm undercaffeinated." You stretched.

"well, i'm sure if you let them _percolate_ you'll be ok." With that, Sans disappeared. You had blinked and missed it. Then the pun registered and you groaned. More coffee, most assuredly.

You received a text about half an hour later, informing you that everyone would soon arrive. You hurried downstairs and began your job of glaring at neighbors who stared too long, holding doors, and touching Undyne's muscles (and Papyrus' lack thereof) when needed.

"You know punk, you're lucky this is your rest day. Otherwise you'd be running and dodging up these stairs!" Undyne and Papyrus carried a sage green couch with ease. She had no qualms about shouting up the stairwell, despite the worried looks you shot back pretty often. You lead the assembled party up five floors and finally to the top. Undyne had managed to urge you into practically running up the stairs by the end by threatening to hit you with the couch. You panted as you held the door to the stairwell open and gestured to the door of the skeletons' new apartment. Sans (and the lightest boxes he could find) moved around the couch to unlock the door and let everyone in. When or why he had locked it was beyond you, but it lent a certain air to the whole thing. Everyone piled in, the couch set down and then moved three different times. Mettaton had a very impressive amount of stuff in his arms. All in all, it seemed like an easy move, and you were glad for it. 

Despite Undyne's claim that the elevator was slow and the lazy way to go, you squeezed into it and took it downstairs. With everyone's combined efforts, all that was left were the beds. You took Undyne and Mettaton and Sans and Papyrus stayed back for a moment. When they caught up with you, Papyrus looked nervous and Sans looked grim. You assumed that Sans had related his worries. And indeed, when Undyne and Mettaton suggested taking a lunch break before bringing the beds up, Papyrus wouldn't hear of it. 

"Who cares if your mattress sits a bit longer? I'm hungry, nerd." 

"THAT'S NOT THE POINT! I DON'T WANT TO START OUT LIFE IN THIS APARTMENT BY BEING A LAZYBONES. BESIDES, YOU HAVE SOMEWHERE TO BE AFTER THIS, DON'T YOU METTA?"

"Well Papy darling, I wouldn't put this work thing above my obligation to you," Mettaton simpered. Sans scoffed and locked eyes with you.

"Um, couldn't we bring everything up first? Then we could be lazy without anything to weigh us down." You smiled meekly, nervous.

"Ok, I guess I don't need a break." Undyne shouldered her way out, Mettaton trailing behind her more slowly. Sans was gone when you looked around, so you stopped Papyrus.

"I believe I made you a promise." You were embarrassed thinking of what you had to do, and stared at the floor. This made you miss Papyrus' face lighting up with delight.

"I-I Didn't Think You'd Actually..." You looked up. His eyes sparkled and his cheeks were brilliantly orange. It was nearly the shade of your soul. You realized first that you could have gotten out of this, and second, that you were glad you hadn't. You reached for your phone, backed away from Papyrus, and shook your arms out. You started the music and set the phone down on the counter. Why had you bought the karaoke version? 

"Ok, can I just say something crazy?" Just keep smiling, you'll get through this.

Papyrus nearly immediately got into it. "I LOVE CRAZY!"

"My entire life has been a series of doors in my face, and suddenly I bump into you!" 

"I WAS THINKING THE SAME THING! CAUSE I'VE BEEN SEARCHING MY WHOLE LIFE TO FIND MY OWN PLACE!"

"And maybe it's the magic talking, or spaghetti for two, but with you... I see your face and it's nothing like I've ever known before!"

The two of you danced and sang together and it made Papyrus the happiest you'd ever seen him. Behind you, Sans sat on the couch, surreptitiously in a video chat with Undyne. You would come to regret going through with this. But for now (and isn't that what matters?) you were happy. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I intended to rewrite the whole song here and now but I swear it will be done eventually. I also took more lines verbatim than anything. So uh, that song definitely belongs to Disney ~~who will send me a cease and desist if I get popular~~. Sorry again for the delays between chapters. Hopefully, I'll write another one today.


	22. Odium

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> noun  
> 1.  
> intense hatred or dislike, especially toward a person or thing regarded as contemptible, despicable, or repugnant.  
> ~~  
> Sorry it took so long. I swear I will update again within the month. Things have been complicated around la casa Cupcake.

After you only slightly embarrassed yourself, you spoke with Papyrus for a little while. You enjoyed a lot of the same movies, and seeing him so happy and excited made your heart swell. Just as you were planning your movie marathon night, however, Papyrus' phone rang, playing a Mettaton song you hadn't heard before. 

"HELLO?" 

You took a moment to check your own phone, trying to avoid eavesdropping. You had five new messages. Three from Sans, one from Grillby, and one from a college friend you still sort of talked to. Your friend May had sent you a picture message with the caption, "Don't you live here?" The photo loaded and your stomach sank with dread. It was a picture of her TV, where the local news station had cameras outside your building. The bottom caption of the news report read "Monsters on the Move?" You cringed and moved on to what had become five messages from Sans. 

**Sans the Skelestronomer** : _hey._

_you should come down here._

_actually, maybe not._

_no you should, we might need your help._

_there's a situation down here._

Your stomach sank yet further. This was the exact thing you had feared. That Sans had feared. Sighing softly, you opened the message from Grillby. 

**Grillby <3 ** : _Do you want me to come down there? I don't see you on TV. Are you alright?_

You received another message from him at that moment, your phone vibrating uselessly in your hand. _I'm going to come down there as soon as I can. I don't like what I'm seeing, you might need some help._

Just the simple act of Sans and Papyrus moving had caused a small media shitstorm. Papyrus got off the phone and you exchanged stressed glances before heading to the elevator together. 

"Papyrus?" The skeleton was way taller than you. Had he ever considered basketball? 

"YES, _____?" He stooped a little to look you in the eyes. 

"When you get out there, just be yourself. Don't let anyone stop you from showing how delightful you are. I mean, we have to make up for how Sans will be, right?" 

"Yes, Okay." You had managed to make him even more nervous. 

But you were in your element. The prospect of standing up for your friends' rights **filled you with bravery**. This wasn't even who you were at work; sure, you were clever and charismatic there but right now you were feeling fearless. 

And perhaps this fearless bravery stopped you from realizing what exactly awaited you outside the building. Somehow, despite your friends' concerns, you hadn't realized there was a hate group picketing with signs right outside the door. You had thought it was only the media. But you weren't afraid. 

You walked straight past the protestors to your friends, Papyrus following you with a little bit less confidence. Undyne waved to you as you approached. "Do you see this? We can't do anything because these assholes are in our way!" 

"And I worry that if we tried to continue despite their... presence, they would do something entirely unpleasant." Mettaton stared at you like he expected you to fix it, hands on his hips. 

"well, at least they're stopping the press from getting close." Sans' hands were stuffed in his pockets. "wish they would do something so we could retaliate. stupid law." 

He meant the Ebott Citizens Inclusion Act. The state had passed it last year in response to pressure from King Asgore and the Monster Embassy, but many argued that it actually made monsters' lives harder. You weren't clear on the specifics of the law, but you knew that it severely limited magic use. Monsters could only use offensive magic after they were already attacked by a human. You remembered reading stories about how for many, that was far too late. 

Your friends may not have been able to do anything, but you could, right? You strode forward to the woman who looked to be leading the mob. She looked like a very wealthy soccer mom- a lacrosse mom, you supposed. She spun to face you with a hateful, assessing stare. Suddenly you were glad you'd made an effort with your appearance. 

"Can I help you?" You didn't know how a person could sound so condescending in a greeting. Your temper prickled beneath the surface. 

"Well if you and your," you gestured to the protestors," _horde_ can move it, I need to help my new neighbors move in." You stared straight back into her eyes, defying her air of superiority. 

" _Well_ , if your neighbors," here she did air quotes, "weren't horrible destructive animals, I wouldn't be here." Her nostrils flared. For a woman who was maybe 5 and a half feet tall and wore pink florals, she was a bit imposing. But you stood your ground. 

"Intimidating? You just don't know them." You laughed, then waved to your friends, calling for Sans and Papyrus. 

They came hesitantly, but stood with you before the woman, whose face betrayed her fear. Upon seeing the monsters up close, she was cowed. Admittedly, Papyrus was a giant skeleton, and while sans stood eye-to-eye-sockets with her, his expression was anything but friendly. Noticing the change in the situation, two men whom you could only describe as skinheads walked up. 

"Maybe you would feel better about these monsters if you knew them. I'm _____ _____, and these are my neighbors, Sans and Papyrus. Personally, I don't find either of them dangerous." 

"Denise Elingwood, chair of the Coalition Against Monster Intrusion. I find it hard to believe that you're going to live near these... demons, and you don't think you're in danger." 

"look lady, we're just skeletons. paps has never hurt anyone, unless you count his first attempts at cooking. i regretti that spaghetti." You were impressed by Sans' dedication to puns. 

"SANS!! YOU SAID IT WAS FINE! I'VE BEEN BETRAYED BY MY OWN BROTHER!" Papyrus had forgotten about the others and took the time to berate Sans for his lie and the pun. You laughed and Denise just stared between them. 

For a brief moment, everything seemed like it would be fine. Then someone threw a rock and struck Papyrus in the head. Papyrus stopped mid-sentence and turned, scanning the crowd. A bone had materialized in his hand. 

"THAT. WAS. RUDE. I DEMAND AN APOLOGY. Or Else." At first, no one stepped forward, and then Papyrus' eye glowed brilliantly. You heard gasps of horror, and then you could see it. A teenager with his soul pulled out, on his knees on the ground. The soul hovered a little and was a dull, sickly orange. You felt a pang and put your hand over your heart. You didn't know what happened to make his soul look that way, but you felt terrible about it. Papyrus strode forward and stared down at the young man. It was the most upset you'd ever seen him.

"LV 3? that's disgusting." Sans looked furious. You thought about it for a moment and then felt sickened yourself. This teenager had killed. From Sans' expression, you were willing to bet it was more than once. And he hit Papyrus! Was he just trying to score an easy kill? The longer you contemplated the situation, the angrier you became. 

You had nearly forgotten about Denise and the protestors, the majority of whom had shied away in fear. The teenager still sat there, staring at Papyrus like Papyrus was about to kill him. 

Papyrus sighed. "I Don't Want To Hurt Anyone, But I Will Not Hesitate To Defend Myself. Please Go Away." The teenager lost what little bravery he had and ran away, but the huddled masses stopped huddling. Men and women stared at Papyrus, daring him to move. 

Sans' expression grew more nervous by the minute, but he didn't, couldn't do a thing. You tried to stand your ground but you had to admit that the odds were against you. Your heart pounded in your ears but at the same time, all of your senses were heightened. You could hear Undyne and Mettaton murmuring worriedly behind you, and the tap of Sans' phalanges against his phone. The wind felt cold on your arms as it rustled through the trees and whistled softly across Papyrus' bones. Slowly, the protestors raised their signs, slowly, the surrounded Papyrus. Their chant washed over all of you. 

"PUT THEM BACK!" They kept it short and simple. As they continued circling Papyrus, their chants rose in volume. If you stood on your tiptoes, you could see his head and shoulders. 

While it seemed like they were trying to enrage Papyrus, he merely looked like he might cry. You tried to push your way into the crowd to get to him, but they stood firm. Finally you heard Sans mutter, "that is enough." His fists shook and you were finally able to see him teleport. He slashed his hand downward and stepped through a deep black rip. You tried to watch but just the sight of the rip made you dizzy. You shut your eyes for a moment to try and help, but opened them right back up when you heard gasps of outrage. 

"But... how did you get here? I don't understand!" 

"that's enough. stop now, or you're _gonna have a bad time_." sans voice had deepened into what was nearly a growl and even though you weren't at fault, you felt fear prick your spine. There had to be something you could do. When you realized what it was, you felt your bravery return as well as your smile. You moved around the group of protestors and headed past them to where reporters stood around, trying to get a story.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lacrosse moms, amirite? Also I finally used the Sans line that everybody uses sorry not sorry.


	23. A Self-Sustaining Media Shitstorm

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh man, 2 chapters posted, 8 hours(ish) apart. I think Chapter 22 was just a bit slower to write. Hopefully I can overcome hurdles from now on. This is a dialogue heavy chapter, as well.

"Ma'am, could you give us an idea of what's going on?" 

"Miss, are you afraid of monsters moving into your apartment complex?" 

"Do you think as a human, this is a big step for monster rights?" 

You never enjoyed microphones thrust in your face, and tended to avoid situations with press or paparazzi, but you were willing to make an exception this once. You smiled brightly. "My name is _____ _____ and I'm Sans and Papyrus' new neighbor. Ask me anything you'd like." 

There was considerably more pushing and shoving than you'd expected from professionals but soon you took questions in a fair and orderly manner. 

"No, I don't think they are a harm to anyone at all. Every monster I've ever met has been peaceful and kind. I think they just want somewhere decent to live." 

"We were about to carry the beds upstairs but we came down and found that this group had organized. They call themselves the Coalition Against Monster Intrusion, and that woman in the pink is the chair. I'm sure she'd be willing to answer some questions as well, once she stops trying to frighten my neighbors." 

Soon, they were winding down on questions, turning instead to consult with cameramen or call stations. You relaxed a little. It looked like Sans and Papyrus weren't faring any better, though. But then you heard the rumble of a motorcycle growing louder. Your hopes were answered, and your deus ex motorcycle arrived. Grillby stopped short of the media and ran over to join you. You still felt a little nervous, as you hadn't really had the chance to talk about anything with him, but you were glad he was there. 

"Are you alright, dearheart? What about Sans and Papyrus? I don't see them..." His concerned expression spread warmth through your chest and you hugged him tightly. His arms wrapped around you and he pressed a kiss into your hair. 

"They're in the eye of the storm over there. I tried to get through but I couldn't. So I've been talking to the newspeople in hopes of doing something." You couldn't bring yourself to release him immediately. 

"Do you trust me?" Grillby pulled away only a little, to stare into your eyes. 

"Yes. Why?" 

"Because I know what would be worse than monsters living in their neighborhoods." 

You didn't quite get it, and gave Grillby a confused look. Then it started to dawn on you, and you laughed. 

"We can get through this, brave one." He bent down and kissed you on the mouth slowly and thoroughly. The only thing the racists would consider worse than living near monsters was the idea of monsters dating their women. 

Naturally, the news crews rushed right back over, and soon, the protestors noticed. The media shitstorm had become a self-sustaining shit tornado, and your relationship was at the center of it all of a sudden. You and Grillby did your best to answer and deflect questions while still attempting to look as enamoured as possible. You could feel the target being painted on your back. You also might have to apologize to your boss for taking advantage of her offer, if you still had a job when all of this was over with. 

You were worried about being attacked by the protestors but the worst they did was turn to you and start hailing you down with horrible phrases and condemning you to all of the hells possible. You didn't mind, you were just glad they'd left Sans and Papyrus alone before either of them finally snapped. You could feel your phone vibrating like crazy in your pocket and knew that nothing would be the same after this. 

You hadn't been with this guy a week and you were going to be a national headline. You didn't think you were the first monster-human relationship but you certainly were the first to be on TV. You wished the two of you were on better terms right now, as it wasn't as though breaking up was a choice with the public eye on you. Your relationship would become a standard for all relationships that were similar. If you and Grillby broke up any time soon, people would think that monsters and humans weren't compatible. 

Suddenly you could feel the pressure. Grillby seemed to be holding up well to it, but he wasn't the one being called a "monster-fucking harlot". Fortunately, you noticed that the crowd was thinning out. Since they weren't receiving attention, many of the protestors decided to call it a day. You still saw Denise and her skinhead buddies, but the crowd around you and Grillby was slowly becoming more press than protestors. Your phone rang in your pocket and you stepped away from the press, squeezing Grillby's hand on your way out. 

"This is _____ _____." 

"heya. we're upstairs. thought i'd let you know. thanks for... what you're doing. i know it's probably not the best time to put your relationship on the news, but you and grillby... it means a lot." Sans really did seem relieved. You heard a commotion and the rustling of a phone being passed. 

"HUMAN _____! THANK YOU FOR SAVING US WITH YOUR CLEVER MEDIA DISTRACTION! SANS AND I WOULD HAVE BEEN FINE, I'M SURE, BUT WE WERE ABLE TO GET EVERYTHING UPSTAIRS WHILE THEY GOT MAD AT YOU. BUT... I HEARD WHAT THEY WERE SAYING AND IT Wasn't Very Nice... Are You Ok?" You had your phone pulled away from your ear, but had to move it back as Papyrus' voice lowered. 

"Yeah, people can be pretty awful, but I'll be ok. I can't say I haven't heard worse. I'm just relieved you all got the rest of the furniture moved without anyone getting- oh wait! Papyrus, how's your skull?" 

"OH, IT'S FINE. TAKES MORE THAN THAT TO DEFEAT THE GREAT PAPYRUS! NYEH HEH HEH! BUT MY BROTHER WANTS THE PHONE BACK, SO I'LL SEE YOU WHEN YOU COME UPSTAIRS." Rustling again, and you heard Papyrus' shouting laughter in the background. 

"thanks again, _____. we should be heading to toriel's soon. are you going to bring grillby?" You could hear Undyne and Papyrus doing... something loud and Mettaton asking them if they were sure it was a good idea. 

"Um, yeah, I guess I kind of have to now. It would be strange if he came and then just turned around and left. We should at least leave together. It looks like he's coming over though, so I'll just text you when we're headed out." 

"grillby knows where toriel and frisk's place is, it shouldn't be too much of a problem. seeya." 

"Bye." You hung up and turned to Grillby, "Everything alright?" 

"Yes, thankfully. The news crews are leaving now and there's really only a few protestors still hanging around. I guess everyone finished quickly while we were making a spectacle?" He smiled at you and you felt butterflies in your stomach. Your boyfriend was an incredibly attractive monster. 

"Yeah, and we all planned to head to Toriel's. Um, will you come along? I'd like to be there with you, and... it might be a bit awkward if I just left you here." You stared at your feet, blushing. Grillby tilted your chin up and kissed you softly. It felt like your heart was melting. 

"I'll go with you, dearheart. Don't worry about it." His hands felt so right in yours. You didn't know why you had been so worried. 

"The only question is if we're taking my car or your motorcycle, then." You knew that if you took the car, you two would talk about the last few days. But were you ready for that? Your chemistry was undeniable, but was it enough? 

"I'd say car, but I might leave Toriel's before you do, reopen the bar. Would you be ok getting a ride back from Sans and Papyrus? It's not ideal, and we still need to talk, but..." Grillby looked worried. 

"Of course it's ok. I'll stop by later tonight, if you'd like, and it's not like Papyrus will say no. He might be glad to have someone with hair in his convertible." You laughed, but it sounded a little bit hollow. You were already worrying about the evening, let alone riding on the back of a motorcycle. You knew it would be ok but you were a little bit- well, quite a bit terrified. 

Grillby made sure to put his helmet on you and the two of you set off. Perhaps noticing your slight terror at riding a motorcycle, he drove fairly slowly. You weren't dressed properly for an autumn ride, but Grillby kept you warm. By the time you reached Toriel's, you were less frightened and more amused by the gapes and gasps Grillby received in traffic. 

You returned his helmet and he looked around before kissing you again, deeply. "I'm sorry about how I acted. I'll try not to be so jealous in the future." 

"And I won't bend to peer pressure from a 12-year-old. But we can talk about it later, right?" 

"Yeah, definitely," he kissed you again, "Just to give you a heads-up before we head in, it looks like the King is here as well. He's... very kind. But given the situation, it might be a bit tense." 

Your eyes widened in shock and you hurriedly tried to remember any sort of decorum for dealing with royalty. It wasn't something you'd ever had to worry about. 

Grillby laughed. "It'll be fine, really." 

You sighed and the two of you walked to the front door, hand-in-hand. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things are starting to get ~interesting~. Well, in my opinion.


	24. The Cat's Out of the Bag

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 3 updates in a week? I'm almost normal. I [tumble](http://www.tumblr.com/blog/sparklecinnamonbunny). Also holy cow thank you so much for 400 kudos!! I never expected to have my work be well-received. It inspires me to keep going. Thanks!

Frisk greeted you as soon as you knocked, a big grin on their face. _Grillby! _____! I'm so glad you're here!_

You missed some signs as they led you inside. It was a fairly large house with a long driveway setting it back from the road. Photos of Frisk and Toriel and their friends hung here and there along with a few drawing you assumed they'd made. 

Frisk led you to a neat, homey living room. A wide recliner sat by crowded bookshelves in the corner, and a large, plush sectional surrounded a coffee table and the TV. You noticed that all of the wood furniture was a matching light wood. A cheery looking flower sat in a pot on the top of an end table, facing the TV. 

You managed to stop yourself from shouting out in shock when the flower whirled around and uttered a shocked, "A human!" 

You did not manage to stop yourself from falling to your knees as the flower yanked your soul out. Flashes of earlier skittered through your mind. You didn't know what was happening, and you were frightened. It hurt. 

"Don't you dare!" Heat rushed over your head and the pull on your soul ceased. 

"Ow! I was just looking, I swear. I was surprised, you can't blame me for that. He fucking _singed_ me, Frisk!" 

You took a moment to catch your breath and got up, catching the end of something Frisk signed. _...My friend. Don't do that next time._ The flower was waving a fairly scorched leaf at Frisk and glaring at Grillby. 

"Ow. Yes, please don't do that next time. I'm just here for dinner, I'm not going to harm you." You rubbed your chest a little. The soul might not be physically in your chest but it sure felt like it. 

"That's not..." Grillby sighed, pushing his glasses up to rub the area where they'd rested, "Nevermind." 

"Thanks for protecting me, regardless. Um, so anyway, I'm _____, it's nice to meet you." You reached for the flower's intact leaf to shake, unsure of what to do. 

The flower stared up at you incredulously. It let you gently shake it's leaf and slowly stammered, "I'm Flowey. F-Flowey the Flower." 

Grillby, too, stared like you'd just grown an extra arm. But Frisk just smiled brightly and signed _Mom and Asgore are outside talking. I'll go get them._

You only had a brief moment of awkward tension before the front door slammed open and your friends' conversation carried into the room. From the tone of Papyrus' voice, it sounded like Sans had just made a pun. 

"Ugh, this is shitty. First this," he shook his leaf, some blackened bits falling off, "And now an evening with the smiley trashbag and friends? Just great." Flowey was actually scowling pretty intensely. 

You couldn't help but giggle. "Smiley... Is that Sans you're talking about? That's pretty funny." It was partially the stress of the day but you laughed harder than the joke deserved, leaning on the end table to steady yourself. You were fine but it redoubled when your friends walked in, you choking out a "smiley... trashbag..." and pointing at Sans before succumbing to the giggles. Sans sighed, shaking his head, and Flowey gave a venomous smile. 

Luckily, you managed to recover again fairly quickly, swiping the moisture from under your eyes as Asgore and Toriel came in with Frisk. You could feel how red your face had probably become.

"Are you alright dear?" King Asgore had a naturally sonorous voice, but it still sounded kind. 

"Oh, oh yes I'm fine. Great, considering. Flowey just told a funny joke, is all. He called Sans a-" 

"let's not." 

"Er, alright then. I'm _____ _____. It's an honor to meet you." You straightened yourself out and walked over to shake hands with his massive paw. He was tall and broad and looked powerful, certainly, but his eyes were soft and warm. 

"Frisk has told me a lot about you, although today's news has led me to wonder how much of it was actually true. I am King Asgore Dreemur. It is nice to meet you as well." He held your hand an extra moment, looking down into your eyes, before releasing it and moving around you to greet everyone else. 

You felt panic shoot through you and you furiously signed to Frisk _What did you tell him?!_ They just winked at you and walked over to where Toriel was examining Flowey's leaf. Flowey still insisted he had done nothing wrong, and Toriel just laughed as she healed him. You were content just listening to the different conversations going on. It was nice to have new friends. 

"So then we thought we could just sort of heave the bookcase into the room. And so we shoved hard and-" 

"I told them not to do it, but-" 

"the bookcase went up and out the window. it nearly hit _____'s car, but-" 

"I MANAGED TO CATCH IT WITH BLUE MAGIC. _____ WILL NEVER BE THE WISER." 

"You nearly dropped a bookcase on my car?!" You restrained yourself from screaming, but you certainly weren't calm. Your new friends would be the death of you. 

"Well, we could see you and Grillby getting on the bike, darling, so we would've figured something out before you knew. Don't worry about it." 

"We nearly took my car! Grillby, we could have been squished today." You laughed but it was nearly a hysterical one. Your friends would give you a heart attack, at the very least. 

"But think of how happy the protestors would have been, dearheart." Grillby's chuckle almost always made your heart pound, but you just felt overwhelmed. 

"I need some air. I'll be back in a few." You assumed that heading the way Frisk did before would lead you outside, and you were right. The sun had warmed your skin earlier, but it was setting and you were starting to get cold. You didn't mind. The back yard was quiet and peaceful, and the crisp air helped you clear your head. You were lost in thought until you heard a soft "_____." 

Asgore's broad form filled the doorway. He carried two cups of tea and set them down before setting himself down on a chair that was far too small. He beckoned you over and you joined him at a cheery deck table. 

"You seemed stressed, so I thought you might like some tea. Your friends are concerned about you." He took small, delicate sips. 

"Thank you, your majesty." He looked more regal sitting across from you in a Hawaiian shirt and cargos than any portrait you'd seen of a monarch. You tried to let yourself relax a little more. 

"Golly, the weather is getting lovely. After so long without it, the wind is such a delight. I am so thankful for Frisk. They did what I could not and freed my people. All I can do now is try my hardest to keep them safe." He looked to the sunset, ruminating. You stared into your tea. It was a strange yellow-green color, but it tasted alright. 

"So... I'm only going to ask you this once, _____. What are your intentions?" He had been speaking so calmly before but now an edge crept into his voice and sent a chill down your spine. 

"W-what do you mean?" Did he think you had outed yourself on national television to make monsters get hurt? 

"Why is your HP so high?" All of the warmth that had been in his eyes previously was gone. 

He thought you had killed monsters? You sighed. You had a feeling that this would backfire on you. "You should ask Undyne or Alphys about that. I don't think I can explain as thoroughly as you'd prefer." 

"What _do you_ mean?" You could feel the proverbial ice growing thinner. You wished it wasn't just the two of you out here. 

"Um, well... Basically. Um," you took a deep, slow breath, "Alphys had this theory about strengthening human souls without um, murdering anybody. It involves sparring without you know... So, Undyne was training me. I would have been working out with her anyway but she saw my soul and assumed with everything else I had going for me, I'd be a good candidate." 

"Everything else?" This was the strangest interrogation you had ever taken part in, but it was effective. You were frightened, and you were talking. He continued to drink tea, eyes never leaving yours. 

"That I helped Sans and Papyrus get their apartment, that they're my friends. That Grillby and I are together. That Mettaton is my client, or... Will be soon." You bounced your leg on your knee uncomfortably. You didn't know what he wanted from you. 

"Why would you expose your relationship like you did earlier? You've painted targets on your backs." There it was. 

"The protestors surrounded Sans and Papyrus and wouldn't let them alone. Grillby and I knew that it would make them stop. And, considering that I spend a lot of time dealing with media in my career, it would have come out eventually. Better on our own terms." It was the truth, even if it felt a little hollow. 

Asgore relaxed visibly. "I see. Did you know that Frisk told me you weren't dating Grillby, but Sans, before? Imagine my confusion when I saw you two kiss on the news." 

You choked a little on your tea and spluttered, "They told you that?! That little shipper, I can't believe them!" 

"Shipper?" Asgore seemed to be enjoying himself. 

"Er... the word for someone who thinks two characters should be in a relationship, but it's usually for fictional works. They like Sans and I together, but we're just friends." 

"Oh, I see. They also told me you were very kind, and I can see that in the way you act. Now I dare say dinner should be ready, if you'd like to join me, Miss _____." 

"Certainly, King Dreemurr." 

"Please, call me Asgore." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was difficult to write. I could have had any of the characters join the Reader out back, and had three extremely viable paths, but I felt like Asgore questioning her motives was the best choice. The end still feels a little wonky, but if I come back and do some edits in the future, I can tend to it then.


	25. Under the Bus

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's a bit shorter than the last few, but I wanted to post something today! ~~Make that four in a week~~ I [ tumble. ](http://www.tumblr.com/blog/sparklecinnamonbunny)

The majority of dinner was smooth and uneventful. You made Toriel smile by eating some of her snail pie, even as you wondered how she got all of the escargot. You fell into your thoughts for a moment, and nearly jumped when you felt a hand on your thigh. You blushed and peeked to your right. Grillby smirked at you. Suddenly, you were doubly glad Asgore hadn't murdered you and buried your body in the backyard. Seemed like, if you could get over to Grillby's tonight, making up and make-up sex were on the menu. That or Grillby just liked your upper thigh... a lot. 

Flowey was less pottymouthed with dinner, and ate a full plate. You weren't sure how exactly he did so, but you didn't want to stare. Mettaton didn't eat, of course, so he made sure the conversation kept going and the wine kept flowing. Mostly into his own glass. You had made sure to only drink one glass, and very slowly. You could feel the tingle of magic in your mouth, and you wanted to be able to drive later. Grillby drank just as slowly, but you couldn't look at him for long without feeling your face heat up. Undyne completely abstained, which surprised you. 

"_____, darling, wouldn't you like more wine? I picked out such a lovely vintage." 

"It's a very delightful wine, but I'm alright Mettaton. I wouldn't want it to have too much of an effect on me." 

"yeah she wouldn't want to get a _monster_ hangover like last time." Sans' grin was way too wide to be trusted. 

"Sans I don't think Frisk needs to hear about that." He was getting you back for the smiley trashbag thing, wasn't he? 

"but your hair of the dog thing really worked!" 

"Sans." You knew where he was going with this. Had he had a lot of wine? 

"in fact, you went right to the true source-" 

"Sans!" You and Grillby interjected at the same time and Sans looked downright smug. 

"SO DID IT INVOLVE LESSER DOG OR GREATER DOG? OR A HUMAN DOG?" Papyrus had taken it literally, and even Asgore looked a little suspicious. 

"No dogs. It's a figure of speech," you groaned, staring at your plate. Embarrassment had taken over where you used to be cheery.

"I remember the last time Sans had a hangover. We were-" Grillby was saving you. 

"grillby." Sans' turn to blush. 

"Still underground and he and Papyrus had just gotten jobs as sentries. They were celebrating but-" You put your hand over his under the table. 

"grillby no. not this story." 

"Well, let's just say he's never-" Bless him. 

"Oookay, why don't you take out your plate, my child." Toriel gave the three of you a scorned look, while everyone else looked entertained, and Frisk was enraptured. They knew this was a thing they shouldn't hear about, but they sighed and left, taking their's and Flowey's plates with them. 

"Please tell me the rest of that later," you giggled. You squeezed Grillby's hand and he squeezed back. 

"i will douse you if you do." 

"THEN I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, WILL TELL YOU THIS STORY! LATER, HOWEVER." Bless Papyrus. 

"Oh man, watching you try and throw eachother under the bus was the best! Sorry again about freaking you out, _____. I've got to head out, I promised Alphys we'd video chat. Coming, Mettaton?" Undyne's grin was broader than ever.

"Actually, I was hoping to head back with Papy. Help him settle in more." 

"nope. nuh-uh. not a chance." 

"SORRY METTA. MY BROTHER SEEMS SET AGAINST IT TONIGHT." 

"it's a hard no, no bones about it." 

"SANS!" 

"I'd better be heading out as well, thank you for dinner, my queen." Grillby rose and you felt he would have bowed if there was room. He lowered his voice and murmured to you, "I'll see you later?" 

"Count on it." You kissed briefly and the three headed out. Papyrus had already agreed to drive you home, so you only had to worry about Sans. It wasn't very long before Papyrus was ready. Toriel insisted Frisk needed to go to bed because they had a big day tomorrow, so the three of you said goodbyes and left. 

Nothing could have prepared you for how awkward and tense the ride back was. it was completely silent until you gathered up some courage to talk. 

"Sans?" 

"_____." His voice was jagged with irritation. 

"I'm sorry about earlier." This was uncomfortable. 

"don't worry about it." 

"No, really. It was rude of me." 

"CAN YOU TWO JUST GO BACK TO GETTING ALONG? YOU ARE VERY GOOD FRIENDS AND THERE IS NO REASON NOT TO ACT LIKE IT." 

"sure paps. sorry for throwing you under the bus, _____." 

"Sorry for making fun of you with that petaled dick. Do you know what he did to me? 

"did he throw pollen on you? that's some silence of the lambs shit. he did that to napstablook once and they haven't been back to see frisk since." 

"No." You thought about it. "Ew. He saw me and just ripped my soul out of my chest. He said he was just looking but Grillby was pissed and scorched him to make him stop. It hurt a lot, actually. I don't think anyone else needed to pull it out to look." 

"HOW DARE HE! THE SCOUNDREL!" "i'll fucking kill him." Sans' eye glowed and it filled the car. 

"I don't understand." 

"he attacked you, _____. he was trying to see if he could just take your soul easily. if you were weaker, he might have killed you. he's dangerous, no matter what they claim." 

"What? But... Why wouldn't Frisk have warned me? Why were they so casual about it? They saw what happened and they just signed something to Flowey and went to get their mom... Oh. The Queen. And I didn't catch all of what Frisk said, but they seemed upset by it at first. They were glad when I took it in stride and just introduced myself though." 

"wait. you just fucking, shook his... leaf or something?" 

"Yeah, I didn't know what he did. That would explain the general confusion though." 

Sans laughed. It was a rich baritone sound and it warmed your heart. "he's probably terrified of you now. he tried to kill you and you just..." He put his hand over his face, trying to smother his grin. 

"JUST AS I SUSPECTED OF A FUTURE MEMBER OF THE ROYAL GUARD! NOTHING FAZES YOU EVEN FOR A SECOND!" Papyrus pulled into the spot next to yours, and the three of you headed upstairs to your apartments. It looked like you and Sans were totally fine. You said goodnight and immediately packed up some stuff to take over to Grillby's. You had a feeling you were staying overnight. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Flowey's a dick. Also, I'm 85% sure next chapter will have smut in it. Be forewarned.


	26. Over the Moon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> They done darn frick. You'll want to leave off around the third break if you don't want to read it.
> 
> Also, before any sort of "action", there's a good-sized chunk from Grillby's POV. I wanted to reflect on him, and I felt like the tension between him and Sans hadn't been really elaborated on. It feels a little soap opera to me, but it also kind of works.
> 
> Also also, I intended to post this tomorrow morning but past 1 AM, I'm known to make hasty decisions. Please, have this entry into the update-o-rama. 
> 
> Also also also, [this](http://www.tumblr.com/blog/sparklecinnamonbunny) is my tumblr.

Mid-rush, you realized there was plenty of time. Grillby was probably still bartending right now. So you took your time, cleaned up, chose a nice outfit for work tomorrow, made sure you were wearing cute underwear, and headed out the door. Today had been stressful, and you were glad it would end well.

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Grillby was nervous. He had opened the bar for a few hours just to make things feel more normal, but today had been... stressful. He hadn't dated in... decades. At first, he'd only intended to seduce you. To relieve the tension he'd felt coiling up inside him. But on that first date, when you weren't silly and drunk and with your friends, you were just as sweet, funny, and charming if not more so. He found you attractive in more than just the physical way, and he could feel himself growing attached. He wanted to touch your soul and see if you felt the same.

Grillby's only worry about the relationship was that he'd derailed things by being so jealous of Sans. You said you were friends but... He knew Sans well enough to see his interest. All of your friends did. What worried him more was that he had seen your interest, too. 

And earlier... That flower had attacked you and you hadn't even realized it! In that moment, he could have easily turned Flowey to dust, but he did his best to calm himself. You hadn't known what was happening, and Frisk would have been upset. He sighed. He was in too deep already.

And you were so young! Humans had short lifespans, certainly, but Grillby's age weighed on him. He supposed that if he compared to human years, you weren't that much younger than him. But how long could he see this lasting? He shook himself out of his thoughts. No sense in worrying now. 

He wasn't surprised when Sans showed up before you did. After all these years, Grillby had practically developed a sixth sense.

He tried to be casual. "Sans, did you come to pay your tab?"

"keep dreaming grillbz. i think you know why i'm here." His eye sockets were dark, a sure sign of irritation, but his grin never failed. Grillby polished a glass, waiting for Sans to continue. "it's about _____. she... that weed attacked her and you hardly tried to protect her. it... he could have taken her soul, then and there. killed her. and you barely did anything." Sans' hands were shaking. "she's my... friend, and i don't know why you're in a relationship with her if you don't care that much. if it's just physical, find someone else before she gets hurt. you're my friend too, but... i don't want to see anyone that way." 

Sans' feelings were stronger than Grillby had thought. He could feel jealousy bubbling under the surface. "You have no idea how I feel about _____. You may be close friends with the King and Queen, and safe from their wrath but if I incinerated that thing like I wanted to, it would have been trouble."

Sans looked like he wanted to say something, then stopped, then came out with, "so you put yourself first, huh?"

That was enough. "Get out of my bar."

Sans' smile was just as infuriating as he left. Grillby realized he had scorched the edges of the cloth he held. He tossed it out and sighed again. He was in far too deep.

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When you arrived at Grillby's, there was only one other guest there. They smiled at you as they left. Guess you'd have to get used to that now. The smile you gave to Grillby was much brighter.

He came around and embraced you, kissing the top of your head gently. "I've just got to close up. If you can want, you can head upstairs, or make yourself comfortable. Do you want anything? It's been a hell of a day, dearheart."

"Do you have scotch?" It had been that kind of a day. Grillby looked surprised but reached for a bottle of the amber liquid. "With a little water, please. Er, actually, I'll get it if you don't mind. That way you won't have to bother with the water."

"Please. And a bit without for me, too." You went behind the bar and Grillby stacked chairs and swept the floor. You poured two generous drams and enjoyed yours slowly. You'd quit years ago, but you wanted a cigarette. It was a disgusting habit, but relaxing. Instead, you drank scotch and watched your boyfriend move quickly around his bar. It was a slower way to relax, for sure, but you felt less tense than when you'd walked in. You stared down at the bar for a minute, admiring its glossy surface, following the stone's texture with your eyes. Grillby leaned over you from behind and kissed the nape of your neck and warmth spread in your chest, tightened your voice, and made tears start in your eyes.

"I'm sorry for how crazy things have been. You deserve better." It was true. You'd led him into a complicated situation without checking to see if he was game.

Grillby chuckled. "I should be the one apologizing, I overreacted. Sans is your friend. And I wouldn't have offered if I wasn't ready for the world to know." He gently massaged your shoulders and you could feel the stress melting away. 

"I don't want you to think I don't take us seriously. This is fast, and a little scary, but I want to be with you, Grillby." He pulled on your shoulder and you whirled around, meeting him halfway in a kiss. Your hands grazed over his body, caressing everything you could reach and your tongues tangled. Grillby held you so tightly it nearly hurt. 

When you broke apart, Grillby's eyes were brilliant with passion. "I don't want you to think I don't care. When you were attacked earlier, I wanted to burn that flower to ashes but I didn't want to cause trouble. I barely hurt him and I should have protected you better. I want to be with you, _____." You pulled him back down for another kiss, laughing. 

"Grillby, I had no idea what he'd done until I mentioned it to Sans and Papyrus on the way home. You made him stop, and that was more than enough. I know you care, love." You peppered his face with kisses until he caught your lips with his own. You got lost in each other, and very quickly the glasses on the bar were abandoned as your boyfriend carried you up the stairs. It was impressive how he even managed to open doors with you wrapped around him and kissing and nibbling his neck. 

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You didn't make it far into his apartment before you were back on your feet, pushed up against a wall, and hastily unbuttoning his shirt. Where your first time had been slow, cautious, careful, this time you were quick, eager, rough. The cute underwear you'd picked out was only momentarily admired before it too was removed, flung to the side like the rest of your other clothes. It was only at this point that the two of you hesitated. "Here?"

"Hmmm, better not. Can I show you to my bed?" Grillby's tone had reached a rough smokiness that would have made you willing to let him take you against the wall, and that laugh, _your_ laugh, was even more intoxicating. You nodded eagerly and Grillby picked you up again, heading through a hallway and dropping you on a very plush bed. You only had a moment to note how nice his bed was before he was next to you, reclaiming your mouth and stroking every inch of your skin. This time, you rolled on top and straddled him. 

"Ready?" You knew you were. 

"Yes. Please take me, dearheart." A momentary adjustment and you did. It felt so much _deeper_ this way. Grillby held your hands, helping you to balance as you found the best angle, before lowering his hands to your hips as you started to roll them and move over him. You liked being in control, and it was clear he liked it too. He moaned your name over and over like a mantra, hands stroking your hips, your sides, teasing your nipples. Soon he couldn't help himself and thrust his hips up into you as you rode him faster, yet faster. 

Your moans grew louder, mingling together in the way only lovers could. The pleasure grew taller and taller and you called out, "I'm going to-" 

"I am too. Come for me, _____!" You came together and it felt like stars fell behind your eyes. Exhausted, you slumped against him and he stroked your hair. "You were so good, dearheart. So very good." 

You kissed languidly and exchanged endearments for a little while. Then you cleaned up and ended up back in Grillby's bed. It was large and soft and oh so warm, but that might have been because of the man whose arms were wrapped around you. "Dearheart?"

"Yes?" You were running your fingers over his forearm, tracing shapes and words. 

"I want you to touch my soul." Your fingers stopped. He had made it sound pretty serious before... 

"It seems a little fast, but I know how I feel and I want you to know it, too. Won't you please?" Without his glasses he looked somehow more innocent. 

"If you're sure. I don't want to mess things up." You felt very, _very_ nervous. You didn't feel ready to share that with him, so you hoped he wasn't expecting you to reciprocate. 

"More sure than I've ever been." You were about to ask what to do when Grillby brought out his soul. Just a normal monster soul, shimmering and gray, but you swore it almost had an orange tint. Maybe just the reflection of his flames. You started to reach for it but hesitated. 

"Do I just hold it?" You were so nervous. 

"Yes, and don't be rough. You could dust me by accident," he laughed. "If you look hard, you might be able to see my HP as you hold it. But, you might be overwhelmed by... well, you'll see. Go ahead, lover." 

You took a slow, calming breath. He wanted to do this, to be intimate with you. You reached forward and cupped it in your hands, stroking it gently, with your thumbs. It felt like silk that flowed like water. You were trying to see his stats when- 

A human? A beautiful one. "Hey, hot stuff!" She had a sweet voice. Night progressing, and she won't take her eyes off you as she keeps drinking and having fun. So many compliments. Eyes glittering like gems, a phone number written on a receipt. You made Sans ensure you entered his number right. Your embrace, the softness of your body and a "Bye, hunk." Then the next day. Your date. You were charming and the way your shirt rode up as you reached for dishes... He wanted to take you then and there but Sans had shown up. Still, an excellent date and the realization that he wanted more than just a fling. The night you finally made love he had been so worried about you and the rain but it melted away in just care and what you realized was love. Grillby loved you and it hadn't been a week. And he was jealous of Sans, even though you could see him trying to ignore it. Undeniable chemistry and a surefire relationship and he was falling in love with you. He wasn't afraid to kiss you in front of anyone or anything. He didn't care about the future, and suddenly, you weren't worried either.

As his feelings and memories rushed through you, you felt the most pleasure you had in your entire life, and with every touch, Grillby moaned beneath you as well. His penis had sprung back into action and stood fully erect, leaking. You didn't want to let his soul go but you wanted him, too. "G-Grillby..." Tears were in your eyes. You were happy and humbled and horny and you just wanted to be close to him, too. "I want you again, but I don't want to let this go. Your soul is so beautiful, so amazing. I didn't realize you felt that way." Your lips met again and again and he held you, and you held his soul. Before too long, he was inside you again and you stroked and stared into his soul the whole time. It didn't last long at all because of it. You were so flattered and pleased with the situation. Eventually you saw a surprisingly high HP and nearly let go of his soul in shock. 

"You liar, I couldn't dust you, even if I tried my hardest. You're so strong, lover." Sparks flew off of him. 

"It's because I'm a fire elemental, is all. But dearheart, may I have my soul back? I think you've thoroughly investigated it." You leaned in and kissed it and Grillby groaned your name before you finally acquiesced and allowed him to return his soul to his body. 

"Do you understand now?" His eyes had softened considerably and you imagined yours had as well. He was in love with you. You knew it for certain. 

"Yes. I... I never thought someone would feel that strongly about me so quickly." 

"Why? You're so... you're you, _____. You amaze and delight me all the time. I'm so lucky." 

Tears pricked your eyes again and you blinked them away. Instead you kissed him again and again, and you talked about Grillby's soul and kissed until you fell into a deep sleep. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those joining us from the bar, hi. Besides the sexual congress, Reader got to touch Grillby's soul and found that Grillby was very quickly falling in love with her. She also found out that fire elementals have a lot of HP. She also touched his soul until Grillby became oversensitive.
> 
> Initially, I wanted them to share souls much later but it just felt right for Grillby to offer it here. Their relationship is progressing rather quickly. I would buy stocks pretty soon.
> 
> And that's 50k words holy crap I think this is more than the bad Naruto-based roleplay my best friend and I had as tweens/teens.


	27. Face the Music

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You head to work after the weekend's events.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not 100% happy with this chapter, but I couldn't think of anything I wanted to change. I [tumble.](http://www.tumblr.com/blog/sparklecinnamonbunny)

You woke slow and warm, Grillby's arm draped around your waist. He had curled against your side in his sleep and it made your heart throb. It didn't seem like you'd escape without waking him, so you turned and kissed all over his face and neck. He woke with a laugh, pulling you tight against him.

"Good morning, beautiful." You wished every morning was like this. Grillby reciprocated the kisses and before you knew it, you were getting carried away. You tried something different, and the burned tongue was worth Grillby's reaction. 

You weren't exactly sure why Grillby kept his bathroom clean, but you were glad for it. You were less glad when you saw your reflection. Before your shower, the night (and morning)'s activities were evident in your appearance. And after your shower, you noticed the marks. You were so glad you had brought a scarf. Grillby made you breakfast and kissed you thoroughly before you left.

You didn't let yourself worry about what awaited you at work until you had parked there. You took slow, measured breaths in your car and headed in. You could feel the eyes burning into you, but you walked into your office and acted like everything was normal. Your hands shook. You expected your email to look far worse. _Ms. _____, Please see me in my office at 10 A.M. re: this weekend's news coverage. Best, N. Needles._

You sorted emails until 9:45 and then headed to the elevator. Your boss had her own assistant, of course, and the young woman stared at you for longer than was appropriate before calling in to Narcissa. And even after the call, she only waved you to her door. You had known what you were getting into, but you hadn't realized how awkward you'd feel. 

Narcissa gestured to a comfortable-looking chair. You'd rather have stood, but you knew better than to say so. You took a seat gingerly. "So, when did this all start?" 

"It's been a nearly a week now. We met when I went to the bar for the first time, and I had lunch with him on Tuesday and well... Things have escalated. I didn't plan on telling the world, especially not so early on, but there wasn't anything else to do. I had to protect my friends." You almost felt defiant. It was a mess, but you stood by your actions. 

"I see. Well... it happened. I don't know how it could've been handled better, unless you just didn't get involved to begin with. But..." She sighed. "...This is a mess." 

"Yes, it is. On the bright side, at least we have a lot of room for bargaining with Grillby." It wasn't something you'd ever consider saying to your boss normally, but today wasn't a normal day. 

Narcissa laughed out loud, then clapped a hand over her mouth. It took her a second to compose herself and she managed a prim, "Well, I suppose that's true." 

You started to get up and then Narcissa remembered something. "Oh, you're signing with Mettaton today, right? Go out to lunch and let me know where. It's time it goes public. Don't tell him." 

You nodded even as a chill rose up your spine. After yesterday, you knew Mettaton wouldn't appreciate the surprise. But she was your boss. You felt like this was a test of allegiance. You held in your sigh until you were safely back at your desk. There was surprisingly little to do before Mettaton arrived, even though you'd been neglecting your work a bit. 

But eventually he arrived. You went through pages and pages of paperwork, explaining things where needed and making sure he signed and initialed and dated all over. "And it's done. I'm your agent, and I'm glad to represent you." 

"Oh darling, this is a dream I've had for so long! I wanted to be a famous actor on the surface, and even when I realized that the monsters needed me more, part of me still wanted this. And an agent... It's the concrete proof that I'm somebody up here!" 

You smiled broadly. "Let's go get some lunch and celebrate!" Then the sting of guilt pressed into you and you had to do something to help. "Why don't you call Papyrus and ask him to join us?" 

"That sounds great!" Mettaton's happiness stung, too. But maybe you were worrying too much. He seemed to always charm the press. 

"Great, let me just do a few things and I'll meet you downstairs." Your smiles felt more and more mechanical. You quickly shot off a notification of where and when your lunch was to your boss, mentioning that Papyrus would also be joining you. Then you gathered your things, took another slow, long breath, and left. 

No number of upbeat songs in the car could stop you from dreading what might happen, but you felt a bravery in your heart that burned like fire. You would make sure Mettaton was okay. It was your job, after all. 

You must have driven slowly- Papyrus' convertible was already there when you arrived. You parked next to him and shook yourself once again before getting out of the car. You could do this. The heels of your booties tapped against pavement, against restaurant floors. You didn't have a moment to speak to the hostess before Papyrus and Mettaton were waving you over. Papyrus' outfit was the nicest thing you'd seen him in yet. He had forgone his impressive collection of crop tops for a button-down and neat pants. You supposed Mettaton had warned him about a possible dress code. 

"It'll be nice not to be the only one eating this time." You stretched, and your neck popped. Papyrus looked aghast. 

"IS THAT- DID YOUR... ______, ARE YOU OKAY?" Laughing might have been a little mean, but you couldn't help it. 

"Yes Papyrus, it's normal. Happens all the time when humans stretch. My bones are fine, I swear." You rolled your neck and shoulders and popped the bones you could think of, and didn't stop until Mettaton started snickering. 

"At least someone got to spend the night with their boyfriend. I wondered about your scarf earlier, and I can see I was right. It's not entirely a fashion choice, is it, _____?" Robots shouldn't be able to smirk that way. Alphys should be stopped. 

"Well... Last night was... I went to Grillby's, yes." Your blush made Mettaton laugh in an over-the-top way that turned heads at the surrounding tables. Papyrus laughed, even if he did still seem a bit alarmed by your bones popping. 

"But there's something else in that blush. Tell me darling, did things get a little more intimate last night? I need to know the scoop!" Mettaton steepled his fingers and looked at you over them. During this time, your drinks arrived, and you took a long sip of raspberry lemonade to contemplate what you were going to say. 

"...Yes. He- we- I touched his soul last night. I don't know if it's something to be shared with others, but it happened, and it was more than I ever thought it could be." You smiled shyly, and it felt warmer and more real than any of the ones you'd given Mettaton today. 

His eyes lit up with glee and he had to take a moment before exclaiming, "That's wonderful! I'm so happy for the two of you. I remember when..." He trailed off, eyes starry with reminiscence. 

"YES, THAT IS CERTAINLY GOOD, ______. I AM VERY GLAD YOU AND GRILLBY ARE HAPPY." Papyrus' smile didn't reach his eyes. You wondered how much he knew about what Sans had told you on Saturday. Clearly it was enough to cloud his happiness for you. 

As you ate, you and Mettaton discussed plans for the coming months, and Papyrus chipped in ideas and complimented Mettaton and himself when possible. It was a charming lunch, but as you paid the bill with your company card, you heard the commotion starting to build outside. Both of them looked nervous, and you felt your food churn in your stomach. 

"Sounds like paparazzi." 

"Dar- _____, what should we do?" You noticed him holding Papyrus' hand, smoothing a finger over the ridge of his thumb. 

"We should face them head on. You have nothing to hide now, and I'm already a media disaster." You laughed, but the tone sounded bitter to you. 

"You're right. We can do this, right Papy dear?" You could almost feel glamour pouring off of Mettaton. 

"IF WE'RE TOGETHER, WE CAN DO ANYTHING, METTA." Your heart swelled for them. You had made the right call encouraging Mettaton to bring Papyrus. 

The three of you headed outside, and you felt the stress of the press focusing on you and on your client. But it turned out alright. You were able to deflect questions and change the topic to Mettaton, and Mettaton was the star he'd wanted to be. Papyrus, too, seemed to rise above the press. They were a hit and you couldn't wait to see the reactions. You were able to do your job and protect your friends at the same time. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Part of me wanted things to go terribly, but I just couldn't do it to the Reader and Mettaton.


	28. Sparks Fly

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note that we do some progression forward here. Couldn't do the whole fic in a week. ;)

Your boss was happy with you after things with Mettaton worked out, and the next few weeks moved by smoothly and easily. You spent your days working on all sorts of projects, one of which being the gala at Grillby's. You spent most nights at his place, enjoying each other's company. You also spent a lot of time with your neighbors. You had found out that the walls were surprisingly thin, and if Papyrus was returning from his morning run, he could occasionally hear you singing in the shower while he stood in the hallway. This led to many awkward inquiries and you regretting listening to music in the shower. 

"_____, WHAT IS... GETTING SPRUNG? AND WHY DOES IT HAPPEN WHEN A ROUND THING IS IN YOUR FACE? WHY WOULD HUMANS WRITE A SONG ABOUT IT?" 

"GOOD MORNING _____! I HEARD THAT YOU WANT IT "THAT WAY". I HOPE GRILLBY KNOWS WHAT YOU MEAN." 

"I WANT TO SEE YOU BE BRAVE TOO, _____!" 

You had told him every time that you were singing, not commanding, and you had the distinct feeling he was doing it to tease you at this point. You wanted to stop singing in the shower, but it was an ingrained habit at this point. Additionally, you kept most of your rendezvous at Grillby's house after Sans showed up one morning after Grillby had left. 

He had appeared behind you in the kitchen, which was frightening enough, but there was something in his expression that made your skin crawl. "_____, i had to stop papyrus from "saving you" last night." 

"W-what do you mean? Ow, shit!" You spilled coffee on your hand, but what you heard next chilled you to the bone. 

"he was really concerned about the noises he heard. he thought you were being attacked. if i have to cover for you again, you won't like what happens after. keep it down." Sans left, and you never mentioned it afterwards.

But despite those few bumps in the road, you really enjoyed being Sans and Papyrus' friends, even if you sometimes heard Papyrus' side of arguments or conversations or... a lot of things. His voice was just so... sonorous. And Grillby... It was as though he challenged himself to be better to you each week. You had thought you were falling before, but how you felt now was an inferno compared to the previous sparks. You had touched his soul a time or two more, and he surprised you with how patient he was with you. You thought you were ready to finally reciprocate. 

You planned an extravagant, over-the-top date, and knew that when he took you home, you would let it happen. Reservations were made at an incredibly fancy restaurant, and you had plans to watch the sunset. Afterward... Well, the two of you were good at that part. And you would let him touch your soul. 

Everything went to plan. You drove together to the restaurant and made your reservation on time without anything going amiss. It was kind of weird seeing Grillby at a table being served, rather than behind a bar or in the kitchen, but you got over it very soon, noting instead how handsome he looked. You held hands on top of the table and no one gave you weird looks. You drank wine and had food way fancier than either of you preferred it. 

Grillby was smiling so hard you thought he might give off enough sparks to light a fire. "What's on your mind?" 

"I just... This is better than I thought it would be. Your big date idea really panned out, _____. I was worried but this is wonderful." He squeezed your hand and you squeezed back. The way he looked into your eyes, the somewhat unnecessary candlelight, a bottle of wine to share, and a set aside water (with no ice) for you. Everything was exactly how you wanted it. This was _the_ night.

"Grillby?" You felt something stirring in your heart, your soul. 

"Yes, dearheart?" You were pretty sure he knew what you were about to say but that was when your food came. 

"I can't believe you ordered escargot," you snickered. 

"Well, if Toriel likes it... I panicked." You laughed together, ending with you snorting completely without grace. You dug into a Wellington Gordon Ramsay would be proud of, and serious matters were forgotten for a while. 

"So, what was the first thing you did when you got to the surface?" 

"I was one of the last ones out, as I lived in Snowdin. I closed the bar down and headed out and spent probably half an hour staring at the sun. Then I took all of my gold and got human currency for it. I bought my property within a week of reaching the surface, and I'm glad I did." You'd forgotten how much Grillby cared about his business. 

"You had to have been one of the first then. The bank tellers must have freaked out when you headed down there with all the money." 

Grillby chuckled. "The man who bought my gold didn't blink once, but the bankers were really quite alarmed when I tried to open an account. They seemed to be more upset over the fact I didn't have a social security number, however." 

"Figures. They're all about the paperwork. But I'm guessing it all worked out, unless you bought your building with cash?" 

"Once the news broke they were a bit more understanding. I'm so glad not to worry about rent." You admired the way he moved, his tone of voice. Grillby was elegant, almost. Your soul burned again in your chest. 

Instead of saying anything, you held his hand again. Your eyes met and nothing needed to be said. You skipped dessert and paid the bill as quickly as you could get the waiter to move. The sunset could wait. Grillby kissed you slowly when you were back in the car and the two of you held hands the entire way back to his home. This felt right in every possible way. 

You didn't see the flames until you were already running towards Grillby's shout. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Didja get the pun?


	29. Charred Remains

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You examine the bar's damages.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter solidly named by TheProtobabe. She is the #1 babe.

Grillby hesitated slightly, then ran into his bar. You almost ran in after him, but stopped dumbly. There was nothing you could do by going in there except be in Grillby’s way. You nearly dialed the fire department, and stopped. You should wait for Grillby to come out. To say that this was not how tonight was supposed to go was an understatement.

Eventually, you could see flames dying down and only Grillby’s silhouette remained, moving slowly through the dimly lit bar. Soon, he too stopped. This is when you thought it would be okay to head inside. Grillby was on his knees.

“All of my hard work, ruined. All of the glass, header. Wood burnt, and can't you smell it? They pissed on all the chairs.”  

“ Did they get upstairs?” The bar was certainly in a desolate state. The sunset you decided not to watch shined into the bar where there used to be glass, bathing the wreckage in an inappropriate golden light.

“ I'm not sure.” You put your hand on his shoulder for a moment, then decided to look for yourself. The vandals had smashed bottles from the bar and the door was smashed in. You steeled yourself and continued upstairs.

The kitchen was mostly fine - they had smashed some dishes but that was to be expected. Grillby’s living room was trashed - sofa slashed open and a chair through the TV. You felt the tears trailing down your cheeks, but you had to continue. You started taking pictures of everything with your phone. They had taken a butcher knife to the dining table, carving a message surprisingly smoothly.

“Go back where you came from or it will be your monster-fucking whore next.” They’d placed a picture of the two of you heading into your building on the table as well. Your eyesight was blurry, but you took a picture and continued to the bedroom. You dreaded what you might find. The door hung sadly on one hinge. Grillby’s bedroom, which had been so comfortable and peaceful, the place where you touched his soul, made love, and planned on using tonight was completely destroyed.

Pillow fluff and down covered every surface. The sheets were crumpled in a ball on the floor and stomped on, by the looks of them. You quietly, cautiously, opened the closet and found many of his clothes trampled and covered in liquor on the floor. Some remained unharmed; you hung them on your arm after you took pictures. The clothes and his dresser drawers had been thrown all over and given the same treatment as everything else. It looks like the bedroom was where they had decided to stop.

You headed back downstairs, put Grillby’s unharmed clothes in your car, and took pictures of everything you could. You could see Grillby outside, inspecting his motorcycle. Once you thoroughly photographed everything, including a similar message carved into the bar, you joined him.

“How’s upstairs?” Judging by the tone of his voice, he already knew the answer.

“It's really bad. I took some of your clothes that were okay but... You can stay with me as long as you need.”

His shoulders slumped and he nodded slowly. “Thanks.”

“This was not how tonight was supposed to go. This is so wrong, Grillby. I'm so sorry.” The tears hadn't stopped, and they threatened to overwhelm you. “Is there anything else I can do?”

“Not right now,” He said. “I’ve got to call the police. My bike looks okay, but I'm wary.” You nodded and started to move, to give him space, but he grabbed your hand. You listened to him on the phone and stood hand-in-hand as he waited for the cops.

They hemmed and hawed and asked Grillby questions you doubted they would have asked anyone else. At one point, the cops took each of you aside separately.

“Miss _____, Can we be certain this wasn't an accident or… perhaps something else?”

“Would he have carved threats and epithets into his bar on accident? And as far as what you are suggesting... Does that look like a man who would burn his own bar for the insurance money? He’s admired by his community.”

“Ma'am please calm down. These are just questions we have to ask. We need to establish There's no need for a beautiful woman like you to get so upset.”

You nearly froze, even as you felt yourself burning up with indignation. “Okay, well, my boyfriend and I were having dinner downtown at that French restaurant, L’Exquis, and when we came back, there was a fire and all of this. Given that he's made of fire, my boyfriend, Grillby went to use the restaurant fire extinguisher to take care of it, as he wouldn't be harmed. We made sure to check everywhere to know the extent of the damages, and then we called you.”

“This is a very unfortunate situation. You see, we cannot label this as a hate crime because...”  You missed the rest of the officer’s statement, overcome with frustration. They had told him he should “go back where he came from” and it wasn't a hate crime?

“Do you understand?” The officer at least looked apologetic.

“I’m sorry, officer. I really didn’t. This is incredibly frustrating. I'll go rejoin him, if that's alright?”

“I can understand that. And yes ma'am, I got your statements so you are free to go.”

The other officer seemed to be explaining the same thing to Grillby. He'd looked hopeful before, but his expression continued to crumble as the policemen continued to speak. This was not how tonight was supposed to go.

You joined him just as the officer let out a final “I'm sorry sir, but-” Grillby’s flames were burning lower, it seemed like, and he was definitely looking less bright. You could see souls now thanks to Undyne’s training, but you didn't even want to see it. You could feel the despair rolling off of Grillby in waves. You rubbed his back and held his hand as the two officers conferred and took notes and pictures of every single bit of the damage. The cynical part of you wondered how long all of it would rot in an evidence folder before being thrown away. But a part of you still strained to be optimistic. They might find someone and take care of all of it. It was doubtful, but still possible.

You were overjoyed when the police left and you could go home. Grillby followed you on his motorcycle. At the time you thought you would be asleep and content, you were instead cuddled up with your feet tucked under Grillby on your couch, sending your employer an email detailing what had happened and informing her that you wouldn't be in. Then, you were struck by an angry inspiration. You were on most of the social networking services, because of your job, so you made a post. You attached the worst of the photos, and cracking your knuckles, started typing.

“This post may alarm you. If you're reading this, you know me. And, you probably know my boyfriend Grillby, through acquaintances or by watching the news. What you don't know is that tonight after a fabulous dinner date (Thanks  L’Exquis) we came back to find what you see below.

Grillby's has been completely destroyed. The damage continues in his flat on the upper floor. You may not be able to tell from the photos, but the bar was also ablaze when we arrived. Naturally, Grillby rushed in to take care of it, but in addition to starting the fire they destroyed everything they could. Hundreds of dollars in bar supplies, tables, chairs, his clothes and furniture, all ruined. All of the beautiful glass panes, shattered. The extent of the damage is such that it's hard to consider moving on.

And all of this is because some people hated that monsters are above ground, and hate to see a relationship like ours. Indeed, when the news first broke, people told me that we had to put targets on our backs. And it may be naive, but I didn’t think so until now. I thought that people would just leave us alone. I know that there are hate groups, but I did not think they would affect us in such a way. I did not think that people would be so hateful as to destroy one man's entire life savings and his dream.

But tonight that illusion was shattered, and now all we can do is wait for the other shoe to drop. So, I'm asking you (@CAMonsterI) go ahead and drop that other shoe. We're waiting. And together, we will prove stronger than anything anyone else could ever throw at us. That being said, however, anyone who is willing to help with the reconstruction of Grillby's bar would be an angel to us.

Thank you so much for taking minutes out of your day to read this. I hope that it sheds light on some of the imminent controversy.”

Grillby had peeked over your shoulder as you furiously typed and while he offered comments throughout, he mostly just made noises of acquiescence. He wasn’t certain why you were writing it, but he was fine with you doing so. You simultaneously posted on three different networks, including your company blog, then posted it separately on the UnderNet. You were glad Alphys had made you an account.

Thanks to your thin walls, you heard Papyrus’ exclamation just 30 seconds before he pounded at your door. “____? GRILLBY? ARE YOU IN THERE? ARE YOU OKAY? I SAW YOUR POST ON THE UNDERNET, ALTHOUGH YOU MAY NOT HAVE RECOGNIZED ME BY MY ONLINE IDENTITY, I SHARED YOUR POST AND COMMENTED ON IT. THIS IS TERRIBLE. LET ME GET SANS!”

Before you could actually open the door, Papyrus was gone. Moments later, he was knocking on your door with Sans. You actually managed to open it this time. They came in quickly, but it was clear that they didn’t expect the scene in front of them. Grillby was seated on the couch  clutching a mug with a pink cat on it full of tea, and your laptop was next to him where you had had it on your lap. Some late-night TV show was on although neither of you had been watching it. Clearly, the brothers had been expecting you to be much more traumatized looking.

It was weird that seeing how upset your friends were for you made you feel good. You could even hear that Papyrus had Mettaton on the phone. Your eyes welled up again, threatening tears but you were not having it. You wiped your eyes and tried to focus on the positives.

“...are you two okay?” Sans was at a loss for words. You had gotten back onto the couch, returning your laptop to your lap. Every few seconds it would beep with another one of your friends or acquaintances interacting with your post. It seems that everybody really cared and in a situation like this, that almost made up for what had happened. To you anyway.

Grillby sighed. “I will be okay when my bar looks the way that it should. I don't believe what happened. I am still in shock. Maybe I should go back underground… I don't know what to do.”

“Please don't do that! We will find a way to make everything the way that it should be again. I know people, I’ll cash in any favor to make it right for you. It's my fault that this has happened in the first place, all you did is help me expose us to the media. You only did it because I needed your help. Grillby, we can make it alright.”  You could feel yourself starting to panic. You weren't ready for him to go underground, you wanted to see how far your relationship would go. You had been ready to show him your soul!

“I'm sure you can but… Is this even worth it? I feel like this will just happen again and again until I quit and go back underground. I might as well give up now.”

“grillbz, this isn’t like you. giving up isn’t worth it, trust me. i think _____ can help you out. she certainly wants to.”

“ Really, darling, the surface wouldn't be the same without you! Where would I get my drinks? You are the only one who knows how to make my cocktail. Not to mention, you make _____ so happy! Her soul burns brighter because of you.”

“YOU MAKE EVERYONE SO HAPPY, GRILLBY! ESPECIALLY _____!”

“Where would everyone gather if not for in your bar? We can get it back together, no problem. I'm sure we all know people who can help out. We can do this. I can do this.” The thought of your relationship ending because of adversity made you angry, but it also filled you with **bravery**. You would do whatever it took to help Grillby.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shit's gettin' real.


	30. Like a Phoenix?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You and Grillby try to cope, and your neighbors help you avoid the press for just a little longer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> UH... Hi. Updates will continue to be sporadic as my schedule allows for them. I [ tumble. ](http://sparklecinnamonbunny.tumblr.com/)

Your sleep was nowhere near restful, marred with blank faces condemning you for your choices. Grillby looked as though he hadn't been asleep next to you, clutching you close all night. You both felt like zombies and while Grillby made breakfast, you made two large coffees with Bailey's. It was going to be a rough day. 

After breakfast, you resumed last night's positions on the sofa, sipping coffee and checking your phones as the morning news played. You had been blown away by the variety of reactions you received. Alphys wanted to be allowed to try and find some DNA samples in the bar that the police might have missed. Mettaton wanted to throw a charity concert to fund repairs, and promised to email you his ideas (a cursory glance at your inbox showed he hadn't). Your crazy cousin suggested that this may not have happened if you'd opened your heart to Jesus. Scrolling down, you noticed that Sans had trolled her.

There were many exclamations of dismay and various condolences from your friends and family. Next to you, Grillby was faintly smiling.  You scooted over and he showed you his phone. 

"So many people actually care about this. So many have offered to help. I never imagined a reaction like this, it's overwhelming."

You hugged him tightly. "You deserve it."

"I'm not sure I do." He nearly seemed to be blushing. You began kissing him all over the face, determined to make him laugh, when the news returned from a break and you froze. 

"In Ebott Valley, a bar under attack and one woman's social media account of the defacement have led many to question whether the Ebott Citizens Inclusion Act actually makes monsters' lives harder, instead of easier."

"Oh no. Oh fuck. I'm sorry to drag you into the spotlight again. This is going to suck." You sank against Grillby's side.

"I don't mind, especially if it makes humans realize that the laws surrounding monsters are unfair." Grillby rubbed your back soothingly. 

"-a law which demands monsters be treated as equals, preventing attacks like these from being classified as the hate crimes that many people view them as. At this time, we have not been able to reach Grillby, the bar's owner, or _____ of the viral post. As always, WTSB News will keep you updated on the latest developments."

You now knew what to expect in your emails. You still felt the righteous anger you'd posted your story with, but it was beginning to be accompanied by regret. You didn't want to put you and Grillby's life on blast again. You snuggled closer to him and faced your inbox. 

Your boss replied to your email with well-wishes, then sent another reply an hour ago calling you a beautiful idiot and advising you on how to address the press. Additionally, she mentioned that Bentley Beckerd, her client, had contacted her with condolences for you and inquired about ways to help.

You chuckled to yourself. If it wasn't for Bentley, none of this would have happened. If you hadn't gone to Grillby's for him with Mettaton, you wouldn't have flirted with Grillby and captured his interest. And while you probably would've been there on the day you went to the Science Center with Sans, it would have been a lot different. Your chuckle had escalated into a hysteric, howling laugh, muffled by your hand. If it wasn't for this guy you'd be quietly (and probably happily, a traitor part of you mentioned) dating Sans. He was very indirectly the stem of all of your problems. All of this trouble could have been evaded.

Grillby stared down at you worriedly. "Are you... okay? I know it's been rough but..." 

You clutched his arm and stuttered out, "B-Bentley Beckerd is the stem of all of our problems," before you dissolved into hysterics.

"Isn't he the guy from those Forbidden Legacy movies? Or am I thinking of someone else... Dearheart? ____?!"

You laughed and cried and shook next to him. Eventually, the laughted stopped and there were only sobs. It had all at once become too much for you. Last night, you'd been in disbelief but now you were consumed by the hurt and stress.

"This really is an awful situation, isn't it? I don't know how to make things better yet." Grillby set your laptop on the coffee table then held you tight, stroking your hair.

You choked out a, "I'm so sorry they did this to you, it's all my fault," before dissolving into incoherence again. Grillby squeezed you a little tighter and kept his hands moving through your hair.

"I'd wipe your tears away, but I think that might hurt." You both chuckled a little. He continued, "I'm so sorry that you had to see what happened. But it's not your fault. You've touched my soul though, dear, you know I wouldn't change a thing... Well, I'd change society so this wouldn't have happened, but I won't let you go."

"You were supposed to touch my soul last night, and they took that away." His hands stilled.

"Oh. I- Oh! Really? You went to all of that trouble last night just because you were ready?" Grillby's tone reached a level of excitement you'd previously only associated with particle physics and cute puppies and you could feel the sparks fly off of him. 

"Yes." You were muffled by his chest but another layer of sparks came off, one warming your leg.

"_____, you didn't have to do any of that! Oh, you're so damn sweet. I'm flattered. You're too kind." He tilted your chin up and kissed you, your wet cheeks sizzling against his face. It must not have hurt badly, as he made sure to give you enough kisses to make your heart race before he pulled back.

"Grillby, are  _ you _ okay?" You could feel your soul burning and you were about ready to pounce on him, regardless of thin walls or the time of day.

"I'm furious, actually. And overjoyed? I'm... honored that you're ready to share that with me but at the same time I'm so angry that you didn't get to do so. I don't know how to react."

"I think we're both a mess today." Seeing Grillby so happy (and the way he kissed you) had brightened your spirits. He nodded.

"I think you're right. Want more coffee?" Your cups had been empty a while now.

"Do you know how to make fancy coffees, too?" Your face lit up with delight.

Grillby laughed, "I can certainly try for a face like that. I'll mess with your espresso machine."

"That will be the first time it's been messed with, if I'm honest. My parents got it for me a few years ago and I've been too lazy to figure it out."

"Last week you told me you wanted to marry espresso, but you aren't devoted at all! Don't you want fast caffeine in your life?"

"I drink too much coffee. I deserve to ruminate on what a bad habit it is."

"You sound like Sans." He smiled.

You lowered your voice and tried to imitate Sans' inflection. "i didn't choose the ketchup life, it caught up to me."

"That was uncomfortably good." Grillby retreated to the kitchen.

You put on your slippers and chased after him. “kiss me, grillby.” 

He set down the mugs and gave you a kiss. “Alright, no more Sans impressions.”

“but grillby, i love you.” Grillby’s response was cut off by a knock at the door.

“who’s there?” You couldn’t stop your Sans voice.

“it’s me, sans. you ok in there, _____?”

“oh my god i’m so sorry Sans,” You coughed in the middle and just awkwardly let him in.

“that was a pretty good impression, but i don’t think you’ve captured the right  _ depth  _ of character.” Sans laughed a little, and you felt ok enough to laugh too.

“I think you might be right. So, what can I do for you?”

“well, it’s not me you have to worry about. it looks like the press figured out you two are here and there’s some news teams headed up the stairs. also, i put an out of order sign on the elevator, but it’s fine.” Sans tried to grin but it didn’t reach his eyes.

“God, I haven’t even had time to read my emails! Shit. Shit shit shit!” You dove onto the couch and scanned your messages. They’d only mentioned that they wanted to talk to you, and that they really wanted to get into contact with Grillby. Said flame elemental brought you what appeared to be a cappucino and rubbed your back soothingly.

“They want to talk to you, too. Are you nervous?”

“I know. I’m just going to tell them what happened, and what I think. We don’t have anything to hide.” Grillby’s tranquility amazed you. He was right- you didn’t have anything to cover up so you shouldn’t be so worried. But regardless, your nerves were on edge. “We’ll be ok, dearheart. I love you, and you love me, and that’s what caused this whole mess,” he laughed. “But seriously, _____, you don’t have to worry. Be brave. I know that’s something you’re good at.” 

Your smile broadened. This  _ was  _ your strong suit. You could handle the media, no problem. Grillby’s faith in you filled you with  **bravery** . When you heard the door pounded on again, you swung it open without hesitation. You didn’t know when Sans had left, but you opened the door to find Papyrus.

“_____, I RAN PAST SOME REPORTERS ON THE STAIRS. I THINK THEY ARE COMING TO TALK WITH YOU, BUT ONE IS FROM THAT NEWS NETWORK YOU HATE. YOU KNOW, THE ONE THAT CALLED YOUR RELATIONSHIP… WHAT WAS IT? A…” Papyrus looked worried. He never looked worried about anything.

“A sacrilegious farce perpetuated by the liberal left that’s no different from bestiality. Yeah. They didn’t say specifically our relationship but they asked if next women would start dating donkeys and then someone said candles. They wondered if I should be allowed in Bread, Bath, and Before. That still smarts.” You sighed and sagged against Grillby’s side.

“Thanks for letting us know, Papyrus.” Grillby was, as always, your rock. Papyrus headed back into his apartment and you shut and locked the door before sinking against it. “It can’t be that bad. We’ll get through it, dearheart.” Grillby still tried to reassure you but you weren’t sure if you could be reassured. The warmth of bravery you’d felt before was replaced with dread.

“I don’t think we can do this, Grillby. Anything we say, Crox News will twist to suit their narrative. Any small misstep, any unclear wording or tiny mistake, and we’ll be eaten alive.” Your wrapped your arms around your knees. You shouldn’t have thought this would be easy.

Grillby wasn’t willing to give up so quickly, “It’s not like they can really say it’s our fault. Sure, they can imply it, but we were attacked, plain and simple. Don’t worry, my love.”

“They make me anxious, I guess. But you’re right, we can do this. Thanks, babe.” You kissed Grillby and the two of you listened for the sound of your anxiety drawing closer. You didn’t have to listen very hard; quickly, the clatter of footsteps and equipment betrayed them. You waited on baited breath as one approached, then knocked on Sans’ and Papyrus’ door. Grillby chuckled and you smirked to yourself, but continued listening intently.

“OH HELLO! YOU MUST BE HERE TO INTERVIEW ME, THE GREAT PAPYRUS ABOUT MY RELATIONSHIP WITH MOVIE STAR, MUSICIAN, AND BUSINESS MOGUL METTATON!”

“What? This isn’t…” “Isn’t that the guy who ran up the stairs?”

“PLEASE, COME IN!”

“Uh, no. Monster, we are looking for Miss ____ _____.” That must be the Crox News reporter. They enunciated all of their words very slowly, like they didn’t expect Papyrus to understand.

“actually, i don’t think she’s home. didn’t you see her leave earlier, paps?” You could hear Sans’ irritation and if you closed your eyes, you could picture his smile looking a little more forced.

“HMMM, I’M NOT SURE, SANS…” Papyrus sounded uncomfortable. He hated people who were dishonest and you knew that even though he liked you, he didn’t want to lie to the reporters.

“she might be at work, if you have the  _ agency _ to look.” You suppressed a giggle.

“SANS, THAT’S AWFUL! I’M SO SORRY, REPORTERS, FOR MY BROTHER’S TERRIBLE PUNS. I HOPE YOU CAN FIND _____ SO SHE CAN TELL YOU ABOUT THE AWFUL THING THAT HAPPENED TO GRILLBY.” Slam.

“Well, should we try the apartment?” 

“I don’t know, they seemed like honest skeletons.”

“I don’t think so, I could see right through them!”

“Hah, you should have told that to the little skeleton!”

“tibia honest, i didn’t find that very humerus.” Sans had reappeared. You heard one man scream and a crash of something being dropped. 

“How is he there? How did he open the door?” “This has got to be a violation of the ECIA! I’ll call my lawyer!”

“don’t ask questions you don’t want answers to. are you coming?” Sans’ tone had reached a gruffness that was downright threatening. You felt goosebumps even though you weren’t the subject.

“His eyes are  _ black! _ ” “She’s not even here, I knocked on the door.” Footsteps rushed around, then the elevator chimed and you heard more noises of surprise and someone scrambling for a camera.

“Can’t I visit my boyfriend without making a scene? Honestly.” Mettaton scoffed and you could  _ feel _ him flipping his hair. You texted him as furiously as you could. No comment, no comment...

“Mettaton, how do you feel about the attack?”

“____’s your agent, do you think it was in her place to make such a public statement?”

“Oh, well… Oh! Just a second, my friends…” Sound of metal against a phone screen (how did Alphys make that work? You couldn’t touch your phone with gloves on.) and Mettaton spoke up again, “I have no comment at this time. Ciao!” Mettaton clacked down the hall and walked into Sans’ and Papyrus’. You released a breath you didn’t know you held and headed back to your couch to try and relax.

After a nice shoulder massage from Grillby, when you were about to drift off, Sans strolled out of your kitchen. “they’re gone.”

You jumped up quickly with a startled cry, then settled when you realized it was only Sans. “You didn’t have to do all that, Sans. Thanks.”

“what you did for us on movement day is part of the reason grillby was targeted. i had to do something.” Sans blushed blue, “besides, i love fucking with those people. but uh, if you want to come over, paps and mettaton are making lunch. thought you guys might want to be around friends. you don’t have to, though.” 

You and Grillby nodded simultaneously, “Yeah, that would be nice. Thanks.” You gathered a couple things and Sans made sure the hallway was still clear and you followed him back across to his living room.

“Oh I’m so glad to see you, ____! We’ve got so much training to do in case those creeps show up at your place. I’m taking a Tae-Bo class and you should totally come with me!” Sans hadn’t mentioned Undyne and Alphys, so Undyne’s exclamation blindsided you.

“Uh yeah, okay.” It was easier to go along with whatever Undyne said than to ask her to repeat herself. Alphys had already started talking about anime with Grillby, who nodded along with a kind smile.

“Well, why not get started now? Plenty of space to spar over here, and they’ve just gone into the kitchen. Alphys will definitely want to see what you’re capable of now! Well, when she’s done nerding out with Grillby.” Undyne’s grin was as broad as always.

“Are you sure no one will mind? I am a little tense right now…”

“Nah, Papyrus and I do this all the time and Sans doesn’t care enough to well, care!” She gave a loud, barking laugh and punched your arm. “Come on, let’s go for it!”

“Alright. I confront you, Undyne!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 31 is nearly done so expect that soon as well.


	31. You Could Put Your Eye Out!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You spar with Undyne, and things get carried away. There's also some Grillby POV, which is exciting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi. I [tumble. ](http://sparklecinnamonbunny.tumblr.com)  
> ALSO OMG I JUST SAW THAT WE BROKE 500 KUDOS WOW THAT MEANS 500 PEOPLE AT SOME POINT ENJOYED THIS ENOUGH TO CLICK THAT BUTTON. Thank you <3

The feeling of your soul emerging from your chest was familiar now. Undyne’s excited, broader than ever grin was, too. You still admired your soul each time and understood more about the shimmering orange heart every time you saw it. You were up to 54 HP.

“Come on nerd! Let’s get started!” Undyne’s jubilant voice drew Alphys and Grillby’s attention, and you noticed worry flicker across Grillby’s face before you turned to Undyne. As always, she started off slow, making sure you were accustomed before varying the exercise’s complexity. It felt wrong to hit her, no matter how many times you’d sparred, but if you held back, Undyne got angry very quickly. A couple of hits glanced you that hadn’t avoided, and it felt like she was holding back too.

“This is why we need you in martial arts! You hit like a Whimsun!”

“I don’t want to hurt you, Undyne.”

“Well, that’s not what you’d say to the jerks who attacked Grillby’s!”

“Yeah, but you’re not one of them!” You would admit, a pissed off Undyne made for a better workout.

“You’re not going to hurt me! I was Captain of the Royal Guard for a reason, punk!” She flung more energy spears at you but you miscounted them because of a surprised “WOWIE! _____ SURE IS GETTING GOOD!”

“Oh, hi Papyrus! Thanks for earli-ghh!” Undyne’s spear pierced your soul and you staggered to your knees. A second one followed, but without the same impact as the first. Your vision blurred but you could still hear, at least. A multitude of voices shouted your name and you listened to boots draw close.

“Oh man, I really messed up! I thought you had it okay. I’m sorry, ____.” Undyne leaned down and her shout of “____? We need someone who can heal!” was the last thing that registered before you blacked out.

* * *

 

Grillby had a bad feeling about the sparring session from the start. He never doubted ____’s strength, but he just _knew_ that something was going to go wrong. When her soul emerged, he was dazzled. Alphys noticed and followed his gaze. “You really love her, don’t you?”

“Yeah. Don’t know how I would have made it through last night without her.” His attention was diverted. That shade of orange…

“But Grillby… last night wouldn’t have uh… happened without her.” Alphys grinned nervously at Grillby, but he didn’t even noticed. He watched as Undyne turned her soul green (it looked so wrong, after that orange) and begun slowly launching spears at her. Alphys sighed and pulled out a notebook, beginning to take notes. “King Asgore was really upset when he learned we were doing this. As soon as I got back from the summit with those CERN people, he invited Undyne and I over and just flayed us! Those two decided to keep going, though. So I’m here, taking notes.” She gave a small, sad laugh.

“I see. She really enjoys training with Undyne, you know.” Grillby got to see her grow stronger and happier through the interactions, and felt some pride in his lover.

“Undyne’s happy, too. Highlight of her day sometimes. So, I’m missing her current HP. If you don’t mind me asking, do you remember what it was the last time you touched her soul?” Alphys blushed and looked down at her notes.

Grillby sighed. “I haven’t.”

“Oh, it’s ok if you don’t remember! I’ll just ask her or Undyne later!  A wide estimate is fine.” She flipped pages and hummed to herself, watching ____ perform a quick twist.

“I mean… I haven’t. At all.” Grillby felt himself flicker, a spark landing on the coffee table between them. Embarrassing.

“Wait, you haven’t? But you two have been together for a while now…” Alphys went silent then turned to Grillby in concern, voice more nervous than ever, “How do you… know? Grillby, how can you be sure you’re compatible. To be this far in and not to know someone’s intentions towards you…”

“I just know. And soon, I’ll have confirmation. I just have to believe in her.”

“Oh, so it’s on the-”

“WOWIE! _____’s-”

“-docket then” Alphys stared down at her notes, looking a bit embarrassed to have asked to begin with.

“Yeah, we had planned for last night but…” Grillby tried to tune Papyrus out. He was nice, but tended to grate on the nerves. He was about to peek at Alphys’ notes, but ____ turned to talk to Papyrus and he watched her soul get impaled. She fell, and her soul returned to its natural shade of tangerine before being struck again. She cried out and the noise struck him as surely as the spears had struck her.

Everything seemed to come to a halt. Undyne ran to her, shouting at the sight of her soul. His lover fainted, and Grillby rushed over but felt too slow. He held her in his lap and tried to heal her but nothing came. He heard himself apologizing to her over and over, echoed by Undyne’s apologies. The only thing stopping him from attacking Undyne was just how hurt _____ was. Her HP had dwindled to a single digit.

To say he was pissed was an understatement. He couldn’t heal her- he couldn’t focus on his magic enough- he just felt rage. What if Undyne had hit someone else throwing spears that hard? She could have dusted Alphys or Sans. He felt his hands shaking, his whole form shaking.

“Grillby, you’ve got to calm down if you want to help her.” Mettaton’s hands shook too, even as he placed one on Grillby’s shoulder.

“it might be more effective if you touched her soul directly… or you could wake her up, at least. this is bad. we might have to call tori on this one.” Sans’ voice shook.

Grillby wasn’t sure what to do. Sans was right, but he couldn’t. But part of him felt that refusing would expose them just as badly. He glanced at Alphys and she met his eye and nodded slightly. He knew he’d be forgiven, since he was trying to help her.

This wasn’t what he imagined touching his human girlfriend’s soul for the first time would be like. He very slowly, very gently cupped the damaged soul and felt the power racing under the surface.

If he wanted, he could see her feeling right now, but he didn’t dare look and lose himself in her. He slowed his breathing and willed his magic to heal her. He tried to focus on their love, his hope for the future, the joy they felt together. He closed his eyes and only opened them when he felt arms wrap around his neck and lips press to his mouth.

He released her soul and felt the loss of power and passion, but felt it returned as _____ kissed him hard on the mouth again and again, tears dripping to lightly sting against his face.

* * *

 

You dreamed of darkness and distant green light. Were you dying? You supposed your continued consciousness meant you weren’t. The green light slowly faded and you felt panicked, but soon you felt a soothing warmth and relaxed. Then the light returned and overcame you, and your eyes flew open. All you could see was Grillby’s face. His eyes were scrunched together and you felt your heart thump for the sorrow in his expression. He clutched your soul in his hands, encasing it in light green healing magic.

He’d healed you, but now you could just feel his concern and it was making you cry. So you threw your arms around his neck and kissed him, making everyone sigh in relief. Undyne was crying, too. The tears streaming from the eye she did have made up for the one she was missing. Mettaton was behind you, his face somehow contorted in worry.

“I’m so sorry, _____! I was stupid and angry and I could have killed you!” Undyne somehow managed to grab you despite your position in Grillby’s lap and squeezed you tightly. You wondered if this was the part where you could be killed. Then she saw your soul still hovering above your chest and released a tiny scream. “Oh no! Oh, I spare you ____, I spare you!”

“I spare you, Undyne.” Your souls returned to their homes, yours bringing not a little pain. You shouted and clutched your chest and Undyne sprang away, terrified. Grillby moved his hands to try and heal you more but you shook your head. “I don’t know if there’s much more you can do without exhausting yourself.”

With Mettaton’s help, you got up and planted yourself on the couch next to Alphys, who looked more frightened than Undyne had. “I… I-I’m sorry too, _____. For everything.” Alphys’ nervous stammer and profuse apologies were the last things you wanted to deal with right now. You sighed, then winced.

“I’ll be okay, don’t worry about it. We didn’t know this would happen.” Sans and Papyrus’ couch was surprisingly comfy. Undyne sat between you and Alphys, her eye still shining with guilty tears. She didn’t say anything, so you just laughed tiredly and said, “So, you impaled me. Twice. My chest aches, but things will be okay.”

Sans laughed low. “you don’t have to be brave all the time. spear us the bullshit and tell us what we can do to help you.”

“Okay… Where’s Grillby?” You felt weird without him by your side, for some reason.

“he’s in the kitchen, trying to salvage lunch. paps and mettaton left it when... “ Sans shrugged. You relaxed a little, knowing he’d be back soon. You felt clingy and exposed. Was it because he’d healed you? Or was it that he’d touched your soul at last? Grillby wouldn’t have taken advantage of you like that, would he? He knew what he was doing…

“uh, _____? anything you need? ya better not pass out again.” Sans’ eyes were dim with what you assumed was worry.

“Yeah. Actually, if you go in my kitchen, in that funky cabinet by the fridge you’ll find medicine and a first aid kit. The medicine box has a sneaky bottom compartment where I keep pain pills and some other stuff I’d rather keep secret. Bring me the pain pills, please. And um, see if Grillby can come keep me company.” You blushed.

“will do. those secrets better be exciting, though.” He winked at you and disappeared in a moment that made your stomach churn. Alphys and Undyne sat in a silent conference before they turned to you with equally concerned expressions.

“Okay, so we were thinking… The King may have told us to quit working together, but Toriel is the best healer… pretty much ever. And we thought that maybe she should come check you out. I uh, nailed you pretty hard. Twice.” Undyne grimaced at the end of her statements, but it was better than an apology.

“How much trouble will you get in if that happens? I understand you might be concerned but honestly, I just have chest pain. I think my soul is fine. I don’t know that Toriel could do anything other than yell at Undyne and I for being irresponsible. And Alphys for not stopping us.” You sighed and started to reach up to run your fingers through your hair, then thought better of it and let your hand rest dumbly in your lap.

“If you’re sure… Er, can I look? I know you might feel a little weird after all of us gawking at your soul just now, but I’d like to check your HP.” Undyne did run her fingers through her hair. This was uncharacteristically thoughtful of her, you noticed.

“Uh yeah, go ahead Undyne.” You watched the piercing (as always) stare and then her eye softened and she released a sigh of relief.

“You’re only missing 5 HP. Grillby did a good job. Guess you don’t need Toriel, just some food and rest.” Undyne squeezed Alphys close, and she relaxed visibly as well. Grillby came out from the kitchen as the two of them tried to agree on something to watch.

“Chef handsome, what’s the prognosis?” Grillby cheered you up, you couldn’t help making bad jokes.

“The food is irredeemable. I tried my best but they’ve burnt whatever it was beyond recognition.” He chuckled ( _your_ chuckle, and your heart thumped slightly painfully) and then saw Undyne and sobered. “Undyne, could I speak with you outside for a second?”

She nodded and rose carefully, making sure not to jostle you, joining Grillby in the hall. At that moment Sans returned, and glanced behind him as he set your medicine down and sat next to you.

“boy, i wouldn’t want to be undyne right now. grillbz can be a little hot-tempered. but uh, here's your pills. we'll have a conversation later about that box, _____.” He stared at you with a new suspicion, which you supposed was deserved.

Alphys scurried to get you water, either from a desire to help or a feeling of being in the way, and you leaned on Sans a little. “It’s not a long story, but it’s… We can talk later, definitely. I’m just too tired to go into all of it.”

“does grillby know?” Sans looked bothered by your leaning on him, but seemed resigned to it.

“No. I meant to tell him pretty recently, but… things happened. It’s why I haven’t shared my soul with him yet. Well, part of it.” You stared at Sans’ slippers, preferring to examine the state of each strand of pink fuzz rather than look at the wearer.

“you haven’t, yet? if you haven’t shared and he had to touch your soul to heal you… no wonder he looked so tense. poor grillbz, he had to work twice as hard to avoid violating your privacy while he healed you.” Alphys returned, and she and Sans tried to figure out where to get food from while you took medicine. Swallowing was painful, somehow. You let yourself space out, wondering how you’d talk to Sans later. That box held some things you hid from everyone, and wished you could hide from yourself. Part of you wished you hadn’t asked Sans to fetch the pills for you, but as they worked their way through your system, you knew it was worth the trouble. He would have found out eventually, right?

Grillby and Undyne soon returned, Undyne looking more upset than ever, and Grillby looking a little more relaxed. Grillby swooped in where Undyne had been before and looked you over carefully, even taking a moment to look at your soul. “And you’re sure you’re alright? Undyne said your chest was hurting. Are you sure I can’t do more for you?”

You smiled and let your head rest on his shoulder. “Just you being here is enough. I’m sore, but I’ll be okay. Thank you.”

“Always.” He clasped your hand, lacing your fingers together. “Now we’re going to watch anime, and you can sleep on me if you’d prefer.”

“Mhmmm. Wake me up when there’s food.” He was so warm and comfortable to cuddle with that you fell into a medication-assisted, relaxed slumber before the first OST.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This isn't even the other shoe.


	32. Genuine Sincerity

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uh, hi. How's 2017 treating you? Good? Alright? Same. Over the course of the year I've went through a hell of a break up and moved, twice! I've had three different jobs this year as well. Over the past few days I've written about 5000 words of this stuff. My initial plan had been to edit the work as a whole, but I suddenly realized where I wanted to go. 
> 
> This will be the first of two or three chapters I'll post in the next few days. Thanks for bearing with me.

It was too bright to be night and too dim to be morning. Your chest ached and you felt like you were missing something. Why did you hurt again? 

“_____? we didn’t mean to wake you. grillby just needed to help with the food. you can sleep more and we’ll save you something.”

Sans’ voice brought the last few hours back the rest of the way and you groaned a little. “It still hurts. I thought the pill would kill the pain but I guess I should’ve taken two. Food would probably be good. Uh… I’ll sleep more later...”

“ok, as long as you’re sure. you can stay here until you feel well enough to get up again. i don’t want you to strain yourself, s-”

“Dearheart, you’re awake. I tried to get up carefully, but I guess I wasn’t careful enough. I ordered fried rice for you. Do you need anything else?” Grillby had interrupted Sans, making his eyes darken, but you were distracted by the realization that he was what you were missing. 

“Grillby, I… I guess I just need you.” You smiled and blushed. Grillby smiled broadly, sparks flickering around him. He hurried into the kitchen and came back with a full bowl of food and two forks. You settled yourself back in his arms, feeling your soul pulse in your chest with not a little pain. But it hadn’t ever felt this right before. You kept sneaking glances at Grillby, and he’d always smile back.

After a little while, it seemed like there was a secret agenda to get you two alone, as even Sans headed into the kitchen and you were left with the handsome man who held you close and stared into your eyes.

“How do you feel, _____?” He sighed slowly and spoke in a soft tone, as if he were trying to calm you down.

“I feel great, other than the chest pain. It’s all thanks to you, darling. I’ve never loved you more than I do right now.” You reached up to cup his face and bring him into a kiss, but he caught your hand.

“... I know. As much as I enjoy the extra affection, it isn’t… genuine, dearest. I used a lot of magic to heal you, and I held your soul directly. Your HP was in the single digits. So the need to be close to me you’re feeling right now is because you’re full of my magic. And because I love you, _____. It’s affecting me too. It’s almost like we’re bonded... I was so terrified when you got hurt. It took me a long time to focus enough to heal, and I thought I might lose you.” He played with your hair, watching the way it twisted around his finger instead of watching you react.

It was honest and logical and it ached. You cared for him more than you had anyone in a very long time, but that didn’t equal how you’d felt since you woke. The love you felt for Grillby was powered by Grillby’s love for you. You pushed the hurt below and tried to crack a joke. “So, does this mean I can set things on fire now? That would be great. I’d save so much time.”

He laughed, but both of you knew it wasn’t real. “Maybe. You should try it on Sans’ joke books.”

You scrunched up your face and pretended to focus hard on burning the books. “Come on, he doesn’t need another spark of inspiration any time soon… Nope, nothing. Not even for the best possible purpose. I was so looking forward to cooking monster food.”

“Guess I’ll stick to cooking duty, dearheart.” He squeezed you a little tighter, and you laid your head against his chest. 

“So, is the fake stuff over? Watching that magic effect _____ was kind of grossing me out, Grillby!” With that, Undyne stormed back into the room, her trademark guffaw echoing in the emptiness. Alphys followed, of course, and the impromptu kitchen meeting concluded.

You couldn’t help the way you felt right now and tears pricked the corner of your eyes. Before you could let them escape, Grillby made a low noise in his chest and glared at Undyne. “You know she can’t help it. She didn’t know. And need I remind you this is your fault? You shouldn’t treat my-” He stopped himself before finishing with a weak, “my girlfriend that way.”

He almost called you his mate. Shit. No amount of his magic in your soul would stop that from filling you with equal amounts of panic and glee. You hadn’t shared your soul with him yet, even if you’d intended to. And yet, he was thinking past that to a time when you were willing to share another level of commitment. You were frightened and enamored and excited and hesitant. You couldn’t determine what you really thought until your soul didn’t pulse with Grillby’s. You felt them in sync. Was this what it would feel like if you bonded?

“You’re right, Grillby. Sorry, _____.  But uh, it’s okay if you don’t want to keep training your soul after this. I was reckless. I don’t want something to happen when no one’s around to heal you.” Undyne looked downright meek. You remembered Grillby taking her into the hallway, but you wondered what he had said to make her back off this much. She hadn’t backed down after Asgore had berated her over the training, so it must have been bad.

“We should keep going. We’ll be more careful. And Papyrus can heal, too. Maybe I could work with him instead for a little while, if you’re worried. If he hurts me, he can heal it too. And he’s such a strong Royal Guard that I could never beat him. Right, Papyrus?” You didn’t want your friends to quit on you. You didn’t want to be without them. You mentally shook yourself. You  _ were _ clingy.

“Right, _____. We Just… We Want You To Be Safe.” Papyrus lacked his typical bluster, even when set up to brag. Your brain still felt fuzzy from the medication, but it slowly dawned on you that Papyrus probably felt more guilty than Undyne did.

“Paps, it’s not your fault this happened. I wasn’t being careful. I should have been able to dodge Undyne’s spears. Don’t take this personally, ok?” You wished they wouldn’t all look so concerned. You couldn’t meet anyone’s eyes, even Grillby’s. He held you close but it felt like he was afraid to hold you tight, as if you’d fall apart in his arms. 

“Really, everyone, I feel fine other than this little ache. I could get up and walk home right now, and I think I will!” With that, you swung your legs over Grillby’s lap, planting your feet in your slippers and standing on unsteady feet. You tried to hide that standing so quickly made you dizzy, but you found yourself stumbling halfway to the door. Sans caught you, moving faster than anyone else could.

“hey. you don’t need to prove your strength to anyone. we’re not trying to baby you. no one in this room believes you’re weak. no one’s gonna think you’re uncool for needing help sometimes, _____.” He’d known exactly what to say to make you feel better, and you sheepishly let him guide you back to Grillby and the couch.

“I don’t know about the others, but I admire you, darling! I don’t know any other human who’d do half of what you’ve done for monsters, or would’ve looked so good doing it.” Mettaton hadn’t said anything most of the afternoon, but sat next to you, slowly crossing a shiny chrome leg and wrapped an arm around you where he could reach.

“Um, is Frisk counting as a monster now?” If this was about to turn into a compliment party, you’d flee to your own apartment even if it meant you had to crawl there. 

Mettaton laughed, covering his mouth with a hand like you’d said something scandalous. “Well, if you ask me, they might as well! Monster parents, doesn’t really associate with humans, good at confrontations…”

“i’m not sure that’s how that works.” But despite his objection, Sans was smiling at you and didn’t contradict Mettaton further.

“YOU’RE A TRUE EXAMPLE OF BRAVERY, HU- _____! YOU ARE THE FIRST HUMAN I’VE BELIEVED TO BE REAL ROYAL GUARD MATERIAL. I DOUBT UNDYNE OR MY BROTHER OR EVEN GRILLBY WOULD DISAGREE! NYEH HEH HEH, YOU CAN JAPE AND FIGHT WITH THE BEST OF THEM!” Maybe you’d taken too much pain medication, because his eyes were definitely glittering with orange magic. And you realized with horror that it was heading towards Compliment _____ Day and you couldn’t escape with Grillby and Mettaton cuddling up on you.

“Wait, uh, what does Grillby have to do with me being Royal Guard material? That’s something that we should definitely talk about. In um, full and explicit detail. Before we do anything else, we need to examine the connection between Grillby and the Royal Guard. Right now.”

“Oh, Grillby used to be a guard at one point when we were still underground! He was one of the best of them! I mean, I doubt I would’ve been Captain if he hadn’t quit and moved to Snowdin to open his bar. He was so fearsome and who can beat a flame elemental, you know?” Undyne’s grin nearly reached her eye as she let loose a spirited description of your boyfriend’s past brutal exploits. You could feel him tense, the flames of his arm flickering with agitation against your back.

“Undyne, I think that’s enough. She understands the idea. It’s not something I’m proud of. I only wanted to protect everyone,” he asserted. You put your hand on his knee in support and felt him start to relax.

“I think that’s something to be commended, love.” Your eyes met and he lightly cupped your face and kissed you on the lips, to the vocal distaste of the others.

“Well, I think that’s a sign we should leave, Alphy! They’re back to the mushy stuff, and it’s real this time. Are you coming, Mettaton?” Undyne had already begun to jam her feet into her boots, and you felt Mettaton’s arm slip out from around your shoulders. The non-residents piled out of the door like it was going out of fashion, leaving Sans and Papyrus to suffer.

“uh, you know that you live next-door, right? and that grillby’s totally capable of carrying you? not rushin’ you out or anything but… maybe get a room?” You didn’t have to see him to know that Sans was blushing bright blue.

Grillby took his advice and scooped you up, and you didn’t protest. He moved more quickly than you’d think, handing you your slippers and keys and heading out the door in the time it took you to offer a quick, “We’ll talk about the box later, Sans!”

He didn’t stop until he was able to gently set you down on your bed and join you, kissing you over and over. Your souls burned in harmony, even as he murmured your name and all the affections he could think of between kisses. The fake bond and the very real admiration had built into a crescendo of pure passion and emotion that neither of you wanted to stop. You only hesitated when clothing started coming off.

“Wait. I want…” He slowed, waiting for what you said next, “I want you to touch it. I can’t wait any longer.”

“Dearheart…” You hadn’t realized it was possible for him to look more sensual, even as his expression changed like the next words pained him, “Are you sure that’s a good idea right after the injury? I want to but… Not if it will make things worse.”

“Please, Grillby. Nothing hurts more than not letting you know right now. And you’re so tender and careful with me… I want you to hold it and be able to look, this time.” You drew it from your chest just as Grillby had the first time all those weeks ago and waited to see if he would acquiesce. You felt so exposed, vulnerable to Grillby’s will. It was a strange and exhilarating feeling, knowing that he could end your life now if he so chose. You knew he wouldn’t, but thanks to Undyne’s earlier paean on his strength, the thought tickled the edge of your mind. Well, until you lost yourself in the pleasure of his long-awaited touch. 


	33. The Lingering Pain of Attachment

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The truths of your soul and your past come to light.  
> -  
> -  
> -  
> TW GRAPHIC DEPICTION OF VIOLENCE  
> TW GRAPHIC DEPICTION OF SELF-HARM  
> TW SUICIDE MENTIONS

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is another longer chapter, with (gasp) actual development. This chapter contains graphic depictions of violence, self-harm, and suicide attempts and if that is something you are not comfortable with, *please* don't read past the first break. I will (as always) summarize on the end notes.
> 
> TW GRAPHIC DEPICTION OF VIOLENCE  
> TW GRAPHIC DEPICTION OF SELF-HARM  
> TW SUICIDE MENTIONS

Every single doubt Grillby’d had about your feelings melted away as he let himself give in to his desire. This was worth the wait.  
It turned out that touching a human’s soul was different than the monsters he’d touched in the past. Instead of seeing himself through her eyes, Grillby was lost in a sea of _____’s feelings, seeing only snippets of their memories together. Her anxiety approaching him for the first time, the unbridled glee when he invited her over, the lust from the first time they made love… But past the lust he was immersed in her admiration. Her devotion.  He did his best to keep stroking the richly orange soul, watching his lover writhe in pleasure, but he held himself back from fully taking in the bliss of her feelings.

Grillby could tell she was holding something back, even when she couldn’t consciously control what he saw. Would she tell him if he asked? Or was it something _____ was too ashamed of to admit to him? It hurt him more than he’d ever confess to that she’d hide things from him. He’d lost his initial doubts but gained new ones in the process.

In due time, it looked as though _____ couldn’t take much more, and Grillby let her soul go, kissing her slowly as she came down. Her eyes were hooded with desire and she wrapped her arms around him and wouldn’t let go.

“Grillby, I thought it couldn’t be better than touching you… I was so wrong. It was like I cou- Wait, why do you look so uncomfortable, love? Was it bad?” She drew her arms back and pressed his chest away softly, searching his expression for an answer.

“No, it was- Well- Dearheart, I can tell you’re holding something back from me. I could feel you keeping me at a distance. Is there something I should know?” He didn’t want to demand an answer so soon but if she wanted to know what he was thinking, he wouldn’t keep it from her. Not from someone he wanted to bond with.

“It’s not what you’re thinking. It’s a long story.” She tugged her shirt back over her head, no longer meeting his gaze. He followed suit, even returning his glasses to his face before following her to her kitchen. She reached into a cabinet and produced a small red and white box, tucking it under an arm while she reached for a bottle of water. Grillby trailed behind as she moved into the living room, setting both items on her coffee table before sitting down at it, drawing her knees up against her chest and pressing her back into the front of the couch. Grillby felt a pang in his chest for the despair in her expression.

“So, I told Sans I would tell him about this box too. If you’re comfortable having him join us, could you fetch him? I don’t particularly want to tell it twice, but I will if I have to.” Her voice was flat, her gaze locked on the box. Grillby headed across the hall and fetched Sans as requested.

* * *

 

“I don’t really know where to begin or where to end, so bear with me.” You flipped open the secret compartment, allowing Sans and Grillby to take a long look. Even though Sans had seen it before, he looked as uneasy as Grillby did. Three hospital bracelets. One worn razor blade. A large bottle of pills. You thought your story told itself, but knew you had to relay it.

“I guess… When I was a teenager, I had the best friends I could ever ask for. We stayed out late, went on adventures, went to parties, covered for each other. Listened to music too loud and drank too much whenever we had the opportunity. Couple of us picked up smoking together, took me a decade to quit that. But my point is that we were the average teen degenerates.” You sighed, working a hand through your hair.

“One night, we were flying down the road from a party, the seven of us packed into a little car. I don’t even remember who was driving anymore, I blocked it out. It must have been two in the morning and we swerved to avoid a deer that had tried to cross. We swerved right into oncoming traffic, hit a car nearly head-on, and rolled from the impact. I was knocked out, and when I woke in the hospital, I was the only one l. That’s this bracelet.” You ran your fingers over the aged nametag. You’d never forget the date. Sans’ eyes were dark and you could feel how badly Grillby wanted to pull you into his lap without even looking at him.

“Being the only survivor of seven wasn’t a good time, and I wasn’t in good shape. I have scars, and I still get some pretty bad pain from time to time. I keep the pills with the rest so I don’t forget. Healing took a long time, and did nothing for my psyche. I was obsessed with the idea that it should have been me. I should have died. I didn’t belong alone in this world. I was too afraid to make new friends and felt like I didn’t deserve to know anyone else. I harmed myself with this,” you pointed at the razor blade, “as an attempt to make up for it. I didn’t listen to the therapist and I just got worse. Eventually I decided self-harm wasn’t enough.”

You swallowed, took a sip of water and a pain pill, and swallowed again. “My parents had gone out for the night and I went in the bathroom and tried to finish myself off. Left a note and everything. They turned around halfway to the restaurant and came home since my dad forgot his wallet. My mom decided to pop in to use the restroom and found me covered in my own blood. I woke up in the hospital and was furious.”

“I was under constant monitoring for days in the hospital and weeks at home. The minute they slipped up, I swallowed an entire bottle of pills. They pumped my stomach. Monitored me more. I went to more therapy. I started college a year late because of all of it. I pretended I was okay so I would be allowed to go. I moved here. Made friends but kept them at a distance. I went to parties, worked my ass off at part-time jobs and helped Mr. Friedman. My parents were so proud. I didn’t really start to recover until the year I turned 21. I drank too much and broke down in front of a friend. Showed her all the scars.” You were shaking and you could feel the tears rolling down your face.

“Went back to therapy without letting my family know so they couldn’t pressure me about it. Worked hard on being better. Decided to focus everything on my job. I’m so good at it because I keep everyone at length, not just my clients. I’m good at bringing people closer and pushing them away. And it’s worked, right? I’ve got a corner office, a friend with romantic tension, and a boyfriend who stops touching my soul and asks what I’m holding back from him. I didn’t have friends before I met Sans and Papyrus and everyone. I didn’t go out unless it was for work. I kept up appearances but kept to myself. My therapist discharged me because I wouldn’t even try to make progress. But, it’s safer if I don’t have friends. I can’t lose someone who doesn’t exist… But now that I’ve got you guys I don’t know what I’d do if someone dusted you…” You started to sob, and Grillby moved to the floor to wrap his arms around you, kissing your cheeks and face even as the tears sizzled and steamed on his face. Sans came over and rubbed your hand soothingly.

“hey. no one’s gonna do anything to hurt us. i mean do you think there’s a human out there that could really kill grillby? i doubt they’d even douse him. and you know i’m a little stronger than i look.” He seemed at a loss on what else to say and decided to keep rubbing your hand and arm while Grillby murmured affirmations to you.

“But Sans… 1 HP… What happens if you slip up? If… If…” You put your head in your hands, stopping both monsters’ attempts to comfort you. You felt Grillby’s hands tracing each scar on your arms instead, could feel his soul reaching out for yours. Sans didn’t answer you.

“And what about Alphys? Or Papyrus, even. Grillby’s at risk of being doused and they already took the bar… What about Undyne? I don’t think I can handle this. Fuck, what about Mettaton?” You could see flashes of terrible things happening to your friends every time you closed your eyes.

“Dearheart… It’s a risk I’m willing to take to know you. To care about you. If I didn’t want this I wouldn’t be here.” Grillby circled an arm around you and slowly stroked your hair with a warm hand. Sans made sure to fill in on the other side. They held you while you cried for what seemed an eternity. It was loud, bitter, and painful, eventually fading into something that, while softer, was no less agonized, until you finally stopped, staring at the ground before slowly, excrutiatingly, you sat up.

“what can we do for you to help you feel better right now?” Sans must have felt guilty about asking for the story.

“I don’t know. Drown me in alcohol. Let me do something stupid. Make me forget,” you murmured, all of it more directed towards Grillby.

“i’m no expert, and i’ll admit to being a bit of a hypocrite, but i don’t think that’s healthy. especially with…” Sans gestured in the general direction of your soul, “what’s happened today and all. and the drugs. i don’t have a liver but i heard they’re pretty hard to get.”

“Grillby?” You turned towards him and pouted, hoping that he’d hear you out.

He sighed, working his hands over his head in a gesture you recognized as yours. It was clear he didn’t want to help you do any of those things.

“Babe, it’s totally fine. I mean if my soul was fine earlier it should be fine getting fucked up on monster liquor, right? And I promise I will drink lots of water to keep my liver nicely hydrated. We should invite Mettaton, so it’s just like the day I met you. We’ll get wrecked, and probably sing one of his songs that I don’t know the words to. And Papyrus can be there. I mean, they always say that you should live for the people who didn’t get to. And if my old friends had found alcohol that also made you feel different ways and could be on fire, they’d drink themselves sick. And then they’d all get shitty fast food and be hungover the next day.”

“By the way, what are you doing about work? Can you afford to be hungover tomorrow?” Grillby still hadn’t answered your original question, but you felt like you were swaying him to your side.

“Well, she emailed me this morning and called me a beautiful idiot and _highly_ suggested I take some vacation time, so I took a week, paid. I thought it would be a good idea since you’ll want all the help you can get for the bar and I don’t want to run into the press anywhere and have my face plastered all over the news. Didn’t I tell you?”

“You stammered something about Bentley Beckerd and went into hysterics. Then you did a slightly frightening Sans impression.”

“Oh. That sounds about right. Today’s been really eventful. What time is it anyway? Is it too late to drink myself into oblivion? Is it ever too late?”

Sans checked his phone. “it’s about nine-thirty. your call, champ, but you’re not keeping paps up all night singing bad karaoke with mettaton. do me a favor and put it off until tomorrow.”

“If you insist.” Sans had won the battle, but you would win the war.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It took me a while to realize what was in this Reader's hidden box and I made myself pretty uncomfortable writing it, given my own personal history of self-harm and major depression. I hope it wasn't too overdone.
> 
> \-- Reader has hospital bracelets, razor blade, and the pills in the box. Explains that she got into a terrible car accident with her best friends in high school and was the only survivor. She felt massive guilt and self-harmed and also attempted to end her life twice. She breaks down and Sans and Grillby both comfort her. She explains that she doesn't have any close friends and it terrifies her to think about how close she's getting to all of her new friends, and she worries about them being dusted. She then asks for them to help her cope in unhealthy ways and is told to wait for tomorrow. --
> 
> Thank you so much for reading.


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